Of Demons and Men
by Monster Cat Music Girl
Summary: Natsu Dragneel... A fierce mage from Fairy Tail known for his willingness to kill. But when he meets a certain Celestial wizard, what will happen? Will she reveal his hidden pain? And can she find out a four hundred year old secret that he has helped keep? Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail. If I did, E.N.D. would have been released properly.
1. Intro Arc: Taking Care of Business

The man staggered out of the train, giving the vehicle a death glare. _I hate trains._ Was it just him, or was his motion sickness getting worse? His ferocious appearance cleared a path for him. Nothing of his face could be seen, courtesy of the black cloth covering his face. His eyes were hidden by a visor. His black helmet had a pair of horns sticking up from them that started somewhere where his ears were, moving outward to accommodate his head, then coming closer together and tapering off to deadly sharp points. Though no one could see it, the tattered black clothes he wore hid fearsome battle armor. However, his white scarf clashed with his outfit. He picked at his hot black leather gloves. So annoying.

 _If you were really here, Igneel,_ he thought, _wouldn't there be a lot more screaming and running and cries of terror and "Dragon!"?_ He sighed. This trip had been a waste. The only option was to go back to the guild. _Hell no._ He was **not** getting back on that train. Not for several more hours.

He could, of course, find out who was going by the title 'Salamander'. There was only one Salamander, and that was him!

 _Is this love?_ Lucy wondered of the Salamander. A second later, the charm was broken when a heavily cloaked man pushed his way through the crowd. _A charm spell,_ she realized. She was going to have to thank the guy.

"Who the heck are you?" he asked. The Salamander gasped.

"I'm the Salamander," he said, all full of himself. "Have you not heard of me?"

The stranger snorted. "Nope. Never seen you, or heard of you, and wish I hadn't." The crowd of girls began to beat him up. Lucy winced in sympathy. The stranger shoved them off. After the Salamander invited all the girls to his party and flew off, Lucy confronted the stranger, who was still sitting on the ground.

"Thanks for the save back there," she smiled. "I'm Lucy." The man grunted in response.

"You can call me Natsu," he said, ignoring her outstretched hand. Lucy treated him to lunch, but all he ordered was a glass of water. As she fan-girled over the guild she wanted to join, he stared at her in surprise. _What is with this girl?_ he wondered. She was weird.

While she talked, Natsu sipped on the straw of his water through a hidden hole in his mask, created for this purpose. He zoned out, scratching his neck a little. This was boring. Then he realized that she was talking to him.

"Natsu?" she asked again. "You zoned out. Are you ok?"

Natsu grunted. He didn't feel like explaining himself. Standing, he thanked her for the water and left. Later that evening, he allowed himself a small smile of pleasure. He had probably eaten too much, but then again, he had a large stomach.

"I wish I could've gone to the Salamander's party," a nearby girl sighed.

"Who's the Salamander?" another girl asked. _I guess that not everybody has heard of me_ , he sighed mentally. _They will, though._

"Oh my gosh," yet another girl gasped. "You haven't heard of the Salamander? He's a member of Fairy Tail." _Got that right, girlie._ He suddenly sensed that something on that boat wasn't right. He _had_ been content to let the faker give him a bit more rep, but now it seemed that he had to take care of him.


	2. Intro Arc: The New Girl

**Yay! Chapter Two is up! I'm writing like crazy to get these chapters up. Now that school is out, I guess you can expect more chapters. The next chapter will start going into Natsu's past. Enjoy!**

* * *

"You're the worst!" Lucy shouted angrily at the Salamander. This was what a wizard of Fairy Tail was like? Suddenly, someone crashed through the ceiling. "Natsu!" she cried with joy. She wasn't sure what he could do, but he seemed fierce enough.

"This was a bad idea," he muttered, immediately feeling the cursed motion sickness.

"That's so not cool!" Lucy shouted. Natsu glared at her. _I come to save you, and that's what you tell me?_

"Get out of here," he warned her, standing despite his rebelling insides. He hoped that he wouldn't throw up that meal he'd had shortly after he met Lucy. It was good food. "Things are gonna get ugly." She stared at him.

"Where do I go?" she demanded. Natsu grabbed her waist, saying, "Tuck into a ball" before slinging her into the ocean.

"Well, he was rude," she muttered when she surfaced. "But maybe I can help. **Open, Gate of the Water-Bearer: Aquarius!** " The beautiful mermaid celestial spirit _tsk_ ed when Lucy ordered her to wash the boat up to shore. "You aren't supposed to 'tsk' me!" she protested. Aquarius ignored her and began working her magic. "Please don't wash me away too!" Lucy wailed as a giant wave threw her to shore.

Lucy watched in awe as Natsu rose up from the wreckage of the ship. His loose clothing flapped around him, giving him a demonic looked when coupled with his horned helmet.

"What are you waiting for?" the Salamander yelled. "Get him!"

"I don't think so," Natsu said coldly. "You know, I was content to let you boost my rep a bit." Lucy stared in shock. _This_ was the real Salamander?! "But after that stunt you tried to pull, I'm gonna have to take you down."

"Bora, I know this guy!" one of the fake Salamander's goons said. "The horns on his helmet, and the scaly lookin' scarf… There's no doubt about it; he's the real deal!"

"Salamander?" she whispered. But if Natsu was the Salamander, then that would mean…

"I'm gonna cook you like a smoked fish!" he shouted, then paused. "Hmm. Smoked fish. Tasty." Returning to the fight, he shouted, " **Fire Dragon: Roar!** " Flames shot from his mouth. Lucy recoiled from the heat. It was hot!

Bora and Natsu fought fiercely, with the latter being the victor. "You rock, Natsu!" Lucy cheered.

"Yeah, I do, don't I?" he responded humbly. He perked up, hearing the sound of marching feet. The army. "Oh, crap! We gotta go!" Natsu grabbed Lucy's hand and dragged her along.

"Why are you dragging me along?" she shrieked. Natsu glanced at her.

"You said you wanted to join Fairy Tail, right?" Lucy stared at him, not sure if he was serious or not. "No better time than now!"

"All right!" she cheered as she ran with him.

* * *

Lucy watched Natsu with barely contained amusement as he staggered out of the train. He muttered threats under his breath to all kinds of transportation.

"Go ahead and go to the guild," he advised. "I've got some business that'll take me awhile. Just… Just tell them that Natsu sent you." Before she could say anything, he was gone.

"Well, that was rude," she muttered. But she was going to be in Fairy Tail! When she got there, though, it was chaos. A burly man with white hair was screaming at another man - who wasn't wearing anything besides his boxers - about being manly. "Eh?" she shrieked.

Lucy's introduction to Fairy Tail was a blur. Mirajane Strauss - in the flesh! - gave her a guildmark on her hand. She was an official member of Fairy Tail!

"Oh," Lucy said, remembering Natsu's instructions. "I forgot."

"Forgot what?" Mira asked.

"The guy who sent me here… He told me to tell you guys something."

"Tell us what?" Lucy frowned as she tried to remember what Natsu had told her.

"He wanted me to tell you that 'Natsu sent me'." Mira paled.

"Are…" she stammered. "Are y-you sure that his name was Natsu?"

"Yeah," Lucy said slowly. Mira looked… _scared_. "What's so special about him?" Mira's answer was interrupted by the doors slamming open and Natsu striding in. He paused in front of the girls on his way up to the second floor.

"I know you," he said slowly. He thought for a moment, then shrugged. "I give up. What's your name again?"

"Mira, Natsu," she said with a sweet smile.

"Mira," he repeated. "Nice to meet you, Mira." Lucy watched him as he climbed the stairs.

"He… doesn't remember you?" she asked in shock. Mira laughed.

"He never does," she chuckled. "It must be a good day for Natsu; usually he doesn't recognize anyone." Lucy gave her an odd look.

"Uh… You! Chick with white hair. Whatever your name is," Natsu yelled from - the rafters? "Could I get something to eat?" While Mira prepared something for him, Lucy felt a tap on her shoulder. She screamed when she turned. It was a flying blue cat!

"You're loud," it complained. "I'm Happy! I'm sort of the guild's mascot!"

"You," Lucy stammered. "You're a talking, flying, _blue_ cat. Named Happy."

"Aye!" he agreed. "I live with Mira and Elfman."

"Happy," Mira said. "Could you take this food up to Natsu? He's up in the rafters again. And don't forget to tell him to bring the plate down this time! He likes to eat up there," she explained. "He's able to keep an eye on everyone in the guild, and doesn't have to interact with them either." Lucy looked up. She could just make out Natsu's dark form in the rafters. Happy was next to him and significantly easier to spot.

"They seem like good friends," she observed. Mira nodded.

"Happy tells him all of the gossip that he's been missing out on, and Natsu doesn't have to say a thing unless he wants to. It's a pretty good arrangement for them both. I think Happy is his only friend. He's so antisocial, sometimes I think he hates all of us."

Despite Mira's words, Natsu did seem to have at least some affection for the guild, which was shown when he rescued Macao on Mount Hakobe. He left on an S-class job an hour later.

"Is he always gone?" Lucy asked Mira. The Take-Over wizard nodded sadly.

"He only comes back to get a new job, or to rest for a couple of days. He has a house here in Magnolia, but he's rarely there. Did you know he take at least two S-class jobs a month? I don't know where he gets the energy." Lucy absently listened to Mira's gossip. Natsu was a mystery to her…

A mystery she was determined to solve.

* * *

On the train, Natsu sneezed. _I bet Mira's talking about me again_ , he thought, then sneezed again. _I'm gonna kill her._


	3. Interlude: Entry

**Welcome to the past. Natsu's past. Please review! It really makes my day whenever someone reviews!**

* * *

Makarov sighed as the Strauss siblings staggered into the guildhall. Poor Lisanna. She had been blown almost off her feet.

"What are you doing out in this kind of a storm?" he scolded. Ocean storms like this one were dangerous enough, but in the winter - like it was now - they were even worse.

"Gotta beat the tincan today, of course!" Mira shouted. "Is she here?"

"I'm here, you flat-chested harpy!" Erza shouted, immediately butting heads with the other girl. Lisanna and Elfman sighed and gave them room to fight. She sat with Gray, who was sipping hot tea.

"I didn't know you liked hot drinks," she teased. Gray ruffled her hair affectionately. Lisanna was everyone's little sister.

"Gramps is making me," he sulked. "He thinks I'll catch a cold or something. Ha!" Thunder shook the building. "This storm is something, ain't it?" Lisanna nodded.

"If Big Sister Mira and Big Brother Elf hadn't been holding onto me, the wind would have blown me away." Another round of thunder hit, not quite as violent. Elfman joined them and they kept talking for several more minutes. Lisanna soon realized with horror, though, that the past few rounds of thunder wasn't actually thunder - it was someone knocking on the door. She ran for the door, and despite everyone's protests, she flung the door open.

There was someone there, but they had collapsed in the doorway with exhaustion. Lisanna couldn't see any part of the person except for the mess of heavy clothes they were wearing. Mira and Erza, for once working together, carried the person to the infirmary.

"Shouldn't we get all these clothes off of him?" Cana asked. "He could get sick."

"Right," Mira said with a wicked grin. "Let's start with this mask of his." Her fingers were less than a centimeter away from his mask when his hand shot up and grabbed her wrist so tightly they could hear the bones creak. Pain twisted Mira's face.

"Don't touch the mask," the kid said, who, judging by the voice, was a boy about Gray's age. He waited a moment before releasing her wrist.

"You really need to get some dry clothes on," Cana insisted. "You could get sick if you keep wearing sopping wet clothes." The boy snorted as he struggled to sit up. Lisanna started to help him, but the snarl he gave her clearly said that he didn't want help.

"I'm a fire wizard," he explained. "I can dry my clothes just fine." Saying that, steam began to rise off his clothes. "Can I have some grub? I'm starving."

Lisanna sat outside of his room while he ate. For some reason, he didn't want anyone in the room.

"What's your name?" she asked while retrieving his dishes. He was silent for several minutes. "If you don't want to tell, me that's fine," she added.

"What? No, I'm just trying to remember what my name is." She stared at him in shock. "I'm joking. The name's Natsu."

"I'm Lisanna!" she replied cheerfully, holding out her hand. He just stared at it.

"What?" he finally asked.

"You shake it," she said, realizing with barely suppressed amusement that he had no idea how to shake hands. Natsu cautiously took the first inch or so of her fingers in his hand and gave it a little shake. Lisanna started laughing. "You're silly," she told him. _This chick's really weird_ , he decided. _I told Igneel that I'd think about joining a guild, but… this is just too much crazy. Then again, if all of them are like this, then I should be able to blend in just right. If the magic council gets too close, I can always ditch._

"Where's your master?" he asked, standing. He could feel himself wobbling, then he collapsed. Lisanna caught him. _Oh, crap._ He pulled away, hoping beyond belief that she hadn't felt them.

"Are you ok?" Lisanna asked anxiously.

"Yeah," he grunted. "I spent the last forty-eight hours walking here."

"Why didn't you take a train or something?" Her blue eyes were huge with surprise and… concern? Someone was actually concerned about him? Igneel had been, of course, but he didn't really count. He was, after all, a dragon. Dragons were different.

"No money," he told her.

"Aw," she said. Natsu inched away. She was really creeping him out. "That must stink."

"Uh, yeah. Um, your master? Where is he?" Lisanna was _weird_.

Getting the guild mark was a bit of a problem - he'd had to bare his shoulder, something he didn't like doing, in order to get the guild mark. Red like fire. Red like blood. Speaking of fire and blood, he should probably go on a job. Kill some bandits. Something along those lines.

* * *

Natsu stretched out on his bed, reveling in the sensation of only wearing his boxers. He wore so many clothes almost all of the time, and he rarely got the chance to take them all off. He arched his back and stretched his arms, using only his head and feet to balance himself. Collapsing onto his side, he thought about the blonde he had met today. Or was it yesterday? He was fairly sure that he hadn't seen her at the guild before. Then why did she seem so familiar?

He sighed and sat up, glancing at the corkboard that had all of his notes on dragons, as well as claimed sightings. String connected each one in a fantastic web that only made sense to him. _Why couldn't I have been a normal person? I'd probably give up my magic if it meant I could be normal._ He flopped down onto his bed again with a groan. _I need a shower._ He stood and went to the bathroom, but not before staring at the picture he kept next to his bed of a girl with white hair.

* * *

Lucy watched Natsu out of the corner of her eye while chatting with fellow bookworm Levy. He was inspecting the job board, scaring off Nab. After several minutes, he sighed. "Are there no decent jobs in the guild?" he complained. Despite this, he ripped a paper off the board.

Makarov opened an eye when Natsu approached him. "Taking another job already, Natsu?" he said. The cloaked man shrugged.

"Gonna wind down and go traveling for a week," he said. "Oh, and Blondie's coming with me." Makarov opened his other eye in shock. Natsu _never_ teamed with someone. What was so special about her? Natsu never looked at women the way that other men did. Then he read the job description and sighed. That was why Natsu wanted her to come with him.

"Did you ask her?" the old man asked, knowing that with Natsu, the answer was probably no.

"I'll ask her," he assured him. "Yo, Blondie! Whatever your name is."

"It's Lucy!" she shouted at him.

"Right, Luigi." Just as she opened her mouth to protest, he picked her up with one arm and slung her over his shoulder. "We're going to miss the train. Come on, Happy."

"What train?!" she shrieked.

"The train to Shirotsume Town, of course." As they left, the guild heard her scream at him, " _Why are we going to Shirotsume Town?_ " They all looked at each other, then began to laugh.

* * *

 **Poor Lucy. I know you're reading this. Take the two minutes and review. Or else I'll set Erza on you. ;) Just kidding. But seriously, review.**


	4. Daybreak Arc: Into The Fray

"Ok," Lucy said on the train. "Explain why we're going to Shirotsume Town." Her motion sick teammate groaned in response.

"It's a job, of course." She sweat-dropped.

"That doesn't answer my question." He pulled a paper out of the folds of his clothing. "A job to steal a book? 'Please note: Duke Everlue is a greedy, perverted man who is currently searched for - _a blonde maid'?!_ That's why you wanted me to come along, you jerk!" Natsu shrugged.

"It's easier this way," he grunted. "Undercover, and all that." She glared at him. This man was insane.

When they got off the train, Natsu pulled them along into the woods that led up to the client's home.

"Hold it," she yelled at him. Natsu stopped pulling on her and watched her. "I don't know what the hell you're thinking, but I'm not doing this without more information." Natsu was silent for a long time, until she wondered if he had heard her.

"So what you are saying," he said quietly in a menacing voice, "is that you are refusing to complete the mission." Feeling scared now, she nodded. Natsu advanced slowly. "We have already informed the client that we have accepted the mission. Why, then, do you refuse?" Lucy had been backing up until her back was pressed up against a tree. Natsu's face was mere inches away from her's. Trying to seem braver than she felt, she stared up at his face. She could see the outline of his eyes and nose underneath the shiny black visor. His right hand slowly reached up and wrapped around her throat, resting there. She swallowed nervously.

"I… I'm saying no, b-because I'm not going to let you bully me into what you w-want me to do." He watched her carefully.

"Lucy," Natsu said quietly. She was startled; Natsu didn't remember anyone's names. "As long as you and I are on a team, I fully expect you to obey my every command. There will come a time when I need you to obey me without question, and I will train you to start obeying me." His hand squeezed ever so slightly. "Is that clear?"

"Yes," she whispered, terrified.

"Good," he said, releasing her neck and walking away. "Come on, Luigi." She was still too scared to correct him.

"Natsu's scary," Happy trembled. He had clearly never seen his friend like this before.

"Yeah," Lucy responded, watching Natsu's retreating back. "He is."

* * *

 **And now we've seen Natsu's scary side. This Natsu is so annoying to write. His original personality keeps bleeding through, making him seem ridiculous. But I'm trying to make him serious and quite frankly scary. If you have any ideas on how I can accomplish that better, please shoot me a review or PM. Speaking of reviews, please do so!**


	5. Daybreak Arc: Retrieval Take One

Natsu gave an irritated sigh when Everlue pronounced Lucy to be 'ugly', and wouldn't hire her. Now they would have to break in, and quite possibly kick ass. As he melted the window, he absently listened to Lucy rant on how she would get revenge on Everlue. _This is why I don't like humans_ , he thought with a shake of his head.

He had to chuckle, though, when Happy found a skull and scared the living daylights out of Lucy. The cat had known better than to do it to Natsu, who would probably punch him to kingdom come in surprise.

After several failures of finding the library and defeating the crazy warrior maids, Natsu finally found it. Lucy smiled at Natsu. It was too ridiculous, his armored frame searching the books. He looked like he belonged on a battlefield, not a library.

"Wow," Natsu remarked, picking up a sparkling book. "This Everlue guy has one big ego. Wait a second… Yo, Lucy, I found it."

"Really?" she asked, taking the book. "Daybreak… Yeah this is it."

"Sweet. Hand it over, I'm gonna torch it."

"Wait!" she yelped, making him wince in pain. Lucy had a really shrill voice. "This is by Kemu Zaleon! I was so sure that I had read everything he had ever written! This must be an unpublished work."

Natsu snorted. "Published or not, it all burns the same." She shrieked. He winced again. Lucy was going to destroy his hearing at this rate.

"You can't destroy this!" she snapped. Yes, she was scared of him, but her love of books was stronger.

"You wanna bet?" he growled. "If we delay any longer, Freak Everlue will come along." As if on cue, the pudgy man erupted from the floor.

"Did someone call? Boyoyoyo!" He frowned at them. "So, you are after Daybreak?" Natsu settled into a battle stance. Better to be ready to fight and not need to than to have to fight unprepared. "I have no idea why. The book is garbage."

"So, you don't mind if we have it?" Lucy asked hopefully.

"No!" Everlue yelled. "It's mine!" _Wow_ , Natsu thought. _This guy needs a life._

"Well, at least let me read it first!" Having said that, Lucy plopped down and opened the book.

"Now?" Natsu and Everlue shouted at the same time. The duke growled. "Seeing your hands on something that belongs to my fabulous self make me sick. Vanish Brothers!" A panel in the wall opened and two men came out.

"Good afternoon," the smaller one said. His taller companion sniffed in disdain. Natsu's eyes narrowed. _That crest… Mercenary guild by the name of Southern Wolves… This could get ugly for them._

"So you hired these goons?" Natsu said. Should he use magic to take these guys out, or not? Either way, it would be a piece of cake to take them out.

"This is it for you!" Everlue cackled. "The Southern Wolves are always hungry." Lucy gasped behind him.

"Natsu, buy me some time… It looks like this book has a secret."

"Got it," Natsu said without looking at her. "Go." She ran out of the room.

 _A secret?_ Everlue thought in surprise. _I never noticed. Maybe it's a treasure map._ "I'll capture the girl myself. Vanish Brothers, eliminate the boy."

"Yes, sir!" they both barked. Everlue tunneled out of the room.

"Happy, go take care of Lucy."

"I'll back you up!" the cat insisted.

"No!" Natsu snapped. "I alone will be enough."

"Come on, Fire Mage," the smaller one taunted.

"How did you know that?" Natsu asked, knowing the answer to his own question when the words left his mouth.

"Your legs were wrapped in fire when you defeated Virgo." So that was the name of the gorilla maid. "There is no doubt about it; you are an ability-type fire wizard." _These guys are sooo full of themselves. I'm gonna have to bring them down a few notches._

"Then that means that you've prepared yourselves, right? I'm gonna burn you to a crisp."

"Sorry to say this," the smaller mercenary smirked. "But we fight at our best against fire mages. You may be from Fairy Tail, but in the end, you are just a wizard."

His 'brother' joined in. "You're no match for mercenaries who are trained fighters." Natsu snorted. This was pathetic.

"You join forces, and this is all you've got?" Natsu taunted. Angry people were sloppy fighters. Throughout their conversation they had been fighting, with Natsu taking many blows. He cussed under his breath as he recovered on the gold tongue of the Everlue statue. If he had been expecting a fight, he would have worn his armor. Now, he had broken bones. Golden healing magic covered his hands as he reached behind him to heal the bones. He grimaced in pain. Healing magic wasn't his forte, and took a lot out of him.

"Do you know what a mage's weakness is?" Shorty asked. Natsu froze in horror.

"You mean motion sickness?" he panicked.

"I'm fairly certain that that's a personal issue," Shorty sweatdropped. "Their weakness is… their bodies!" His giant frying pan severed the tongue as Natsu jumped off. "In order to master magic, you have to train your mental strength." _Like I don't know that._ "As a result, you end up neglecting to train your body." _You want to bet?_ "This means that against us, who train their bodies every day, you are no match in neither power nor speed."

"Whoa, so scary! So when are you going to get serious?" The Vanish Brothers glared at him.

"Brother," Giganto said, "let's use our combination attack!"

"Ok," Shorty said. They both announced, "Heaven and Earth Annihilation Technique! Come!"

 _Well, this is just lovely_ , Natsu thought sarcastically.


	6. Daybreak Arc: Chaperone

**In this chapter, we get an example of Natsu being epic, then him being cute(ish?), and as a grand finale, him being a complete and utter moron.**

* * *

"Heaven and Earth Annihilation Technique! Come!"

 _Well, this is just lovely_ , Natsu thought sarcastically.

"When you face Heaven," Shorty said as Giganto jumped up above Natsu, "we are down here on Earth." _Note to self_ , Natsu thought with a grunt. _Frying pans to the face hurt._

"When you face Earth," Giganto said. _Where the hell did he come from?_ "We are up here in Heaven!"

"This is the Heaven and Earth Annihilation Technique," Shorty said with amusement. "There has never been anyone who has survived that."

"Survived what?" Natsu scoffed. "Oh, you mean that. That was supposed to be an attack? Whatever. My turn." Natsu could feel his magic rebelling inside of him, struggling to escape. He needed to let the fire out before it burned him alive. Of course, it couldn't actually do that, but it felt like it. "Fire Dragon Roar!"

"Fire magic?" Shorty smirked. "It's over. Flame Cooking! My frying pan is no ordinary pan. It absorbs all of the flames, multiplies them, and sends them back. It's a Fairy barbeque! Goodbye."

"You guys are hilarious," Natsu chuckled, eating the fire. He knew that in the fire light, he looked like a demon, thanks to the horns on his helmet. "My turn again. Fire Dragon Wing Attack!" he roared. "Aw, crap," he said after the spell was finished. "I overdid it again. Igneel would kick my ass if he could see me now." The Vanish Brothers were toast. "I'd better find the others before they bring down the rest of this place." He saw Gorilla Maid standing. "Where does she think she's going? I'd better catch a ride."

Together with Lucy and Happy - who stank of sewer water - they defeated Everlue and Virgo - who Natsu insisted on calling 'Gorilla Girl' - and gave the book to the client, Kaby Melon. Natsu declined the reward, saying that they didn't actually complete the job, therefore hadn't earned the money.

While walking home and camping for the night, Lucy had just gone to bed with Happy snuggled next to her when she heard something. _Huh?_ she wondered. It took her almost a minute to figure out that it was Natsu humming a deep, guttural tune. She watched him while pretending to be asleep. He would sway back and forth, then remain still for a while, then begin swaying again. She realized that it was his way of dancing while sitting down.

"That's a nice tune," she said quietly. He turned in surprise. "Don't stop because of me," she smiled. Natsu stood and crouched in front of her. Lucy froze, wondering what he was doing. To her own surprise, he stroked her hair gently.

"Go to sleep, Luigi," he murmured, almost… affectionately?

"It's Lucy," she muttered.

"Go to sleep, Lucy."

* * *

Natsu watched her until he was sure that she was asleep. He pulled off his helmet and scratched furiously. He plopped onto his back, looking at the stars. _I'll find you,_ he promised the sky. Pulling his helmet back on, he sighed and watched Lucy again. There was something about her that pulled him to her. He crawled over and brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. What was the connection between them?

He stayed up all night watching her.

* * *

They ran into Gray Fullbuster the next day. He was the only non-S-class wizard that dared to fight with Natsu, which he showed by immediately picking a fight with him. Natsu punched him and sent him flying into a tree.

"What do you want, Ice Princess?" he growled.

"I was on the way back to the guild from a job when an idiot with a helmet attacked me while I was trying to find a place to go to the bathroom," he snapped with a glare. "Wait - Why do you have Happy on your helmet?" It was true. To give Happy the best vantage point from which to sniff out the shortcut they were trying to find, Natsu had grudgingly allowed the cat to perch on his helmet. "On second thought, why do you have people with you period?"

"I needed Blondie for a job," Natsu said, pulling Happy off the helmet by his tail. The cat yowled in protest. "Some guy was looking for a blonde maid, so I brought her along to infiltrate the place."

"Uh-huh," Gray said, trying to hide a grin. "You sure that you just didn't need the help? Admit it!"

"Shut up, Gray."

"Ok, that explains Lucy."

"I'm right here!"

"But what about Happy?"

"He's here as chaperone."

"Eh?" Lucy, Happy and Gray shrieked. Natsu winced.

"Blondie's gonna destroy my hearing," he muttered. "You wouldn't believe how many girls hit on me."

Gray snorted, "Like I'd believe that. Why would any girl go after a mask nutjob like you instead of me?"

"Maybe it's because you're a friggin stripper." Lucy covered her eyes as Gray yelped and searched for his clothes.

"He strips!" Lucy asked in shock. Natsu shrugged.

"It's a habit of his, as much as I'd like to say it's on purpose. He's had it for as long as I can remember, in case you're wondering."

"You can't remember very far back," Gray said, recovering his clothes successfully, "so that isn't a really good measurement of time."

"Where did you come from?" Natsu snapped. "And who are you?" Gray sighed.

"See what I mean?" he told Lucy. "Sometimes he remembers everything, and other times, he can barely remember his name. I came from the bushes, idiot. I'm a member of your guild." Natsu grunted.

"When did I join a guild?" Natsu wondered to himself.

"Wow," Lucy said. "Does he have memory loss or something?"

"Nah, he's just stupid. Yo, Natsu. We'd better be getting to the guild. Erza's coming back."

"Edward," Natsu said thoughtfully. "Nope, don't know him." He started to walk off.

"Natsu, wait," Lucy yelled. He turned. "Remember me?" Natsu leaned in, inspecting her face.

"No." She sweatdropped. Natsu was a complete idiot.

"We just finished a job together." She pulled out the job sheet and showed it to him. "You brought me because of the maid position." He started searching himself.

"Did I spend the reward that fast?" he muttered. Gray face-palmed.

"No, you turned it down." Natsu frowned.

"Why would I do that?" he asked. Lucy sighed and patiently recounted the mission to him. He listened gravely, nodding every now and then.

"Make sense?" she finally finished. He started to nod, then stopped and pressed his hand to his face.

"What was your name again?" he asked. Lucy, Gray, and Happy face-floored while Natsu looked on in confusion.

* * *

 **See what I mean? I thought I had already posted this chapter... So sorry. I'll be curious to see what you think of Natsu watching Lucy all night...**


	7. Lullaby Arc: What Dreams May Come

**And we have chapter up! Sorry that I took so long to update yesterday. Writers block, and then the brilliant idea of watching the show as I wrote, and changing it to fit the story. Of course, I'll be stuck again when I finish season one... But no matter! Read onward, my followers, for the glory of youth! Wait a second... That's Naruto, sorry.**

* * *

Everyone was shocked to see that Lucy and Happy had actually survived a job with Natsu. He, of course, made his way to the rafters to escape the guild. He watched his guild - since when did he start thinking of Fairy Tail like that? - mill around like ants. He inhaled deeply, smelling the scent of everyone in the building. He managed to forget the names of just about everyone here to make it easier to ditch if he needed to. A yawn nearly split his skull in two. Dang, he was tired.

Discreetly leaving through a window, he made his way to his house, fumbling with the key that he kept hidden in the vines covering his house. Shrugging out of his clothes, he took a quick shower, then flopped onto bed. He must have been more tired than he'd thought, though. He fell asleep quickly.

* * *

 _Fire. Burning. Natsu pulled against the chains restraining him. "No!" he screamed. "Stop it! Leave her alone!" He could hear her screaming for him as the flames grew higher. "No! NO!" His throat was growing hoarse from screaming._

 _"_ _ **NO!**_ _" He wanted her,_ _ **needed**_ _her. She couldn't leave him._

 _"_ _ **Natsu!**_ _" she screamed in pain. The fire was all around her, burning her, killing her. He had to escape the chains. He had to save her. He had to -_

Natsu woke up in a cold sweat. He hadn't had that dream in years. Why had he had that dream again now of all times? It was weird. Why now? He threw the sweat soaked blankets off and stood. That dream had always meant that his life was about to change dramatically… Not always for the better.

He hated that dream. Memory, really. It was a taunt. Something is coming and you are helpless to stop it. This time it was different. Usually, she died before his eyes before he managed to wake up. But he woke up before she died… Strange. He rubbed his face.

 _Lullaby_. A feral growl escaped his throat. _Why now, after so long? Are the demons awakening? Deliora had awakened a few years back, but it got sealed away._ He gripped his hair tightly, ideas clawing through his mind. _Didn't Lullaby get sealed away too? Wait, wasn't it stolen again a few weeks ago? A dark guild, if I remember correctly. If they unleash it… I need to find them and destroy them…_ _ **Now**_ _!_

* * *

"I've got bad news!" Loke gasped as he threw open the door. The guild murmured in confusion. "It's Erza… She's on her way here." Lucy watched in surprise as the guild panicked.

"Wow, just mention Erza and the whole place just freaks out," Lucy mentioned to Mira, who was the only person not disturbed.

"Well, she is the strongest female wizard we've got in Fairy Tail. And more than a bit intimidating."

Lucy's nervousness only grew as the guild muttered in fear. "Given this reaction, Erza must be one powerful wizard. I'm so scared!" An armored woman carrying some giant jeweled horn or tooth walked in and set it down.

"I have returned," she stated. "Where is Master Makarov?"

"Wow, she's pretty," Lucy said softly.

"Welcome back, Erza!" Mira said with cheer. "The master's at a conference right now."

"I see."

A wizard had enough courage to speak to her. "What's that humongous thing, Erza?" he asked.

"The horn of a monster I subdued. The locals were so grateful, they decorated it and gave it to me as a souvenir," Erza replied, then turned scary. "Do you have a problem with it?" Everyone panicked.

"No, not at all!" they exclaimed. Erza then berated the guild about things she had heard while on the road.

"Is Natsu here?" she asked. Mira shook her head from where she was doodling with a light pen. "I needed him and Gray for a favor… Very well, Gray alone will also suffice." Gray stared at her in shock. "I heard about something bad while on my last job. Normally, I would consult the master about something like this first, but I believe this is a matter of the utmost urgency. Gray, you are one of the strongest non-S-class wizards in the guild. I want your help. Meet me at the train station tomorrow morning." Everyone murmured in surprise. _It would be better if Natsu were here_ , Erza thought, troubled. _He knows so much about forbidden and ancient artifacts. He might know something about this Lullaby._ She settled down to a piece of strawberry cake. _I hope that we run into him on whatever job he's on._

* * *

 **Review please! Yeah, Natsu doesn't appear much in this short chapter, and probably not much in the next chapter, but then... Bwahaha!**


	8. Lullaby Arc: Shadow Mountain

**This is so much fun to write. Erza and Natsu bounce off of each out very nicely, and the same for Natsu and Gray. I would love it if you guys told me what parts you find really funny, ideas for it to be really funny, etc., so I can do it more often.**

* * *

Lucy looked on in shock at all of Erza's luggage. Gray just looked at it like it was normal. It probably was, for him.

"Whoa, look at the luggage!" Happy yelled. He had decided to tag along.

"All those belong to you?" Lucy asked in shock.

"Yes," Erza said with a smile. "What was your name? I believe I saw you at the guild yesterday."

"My name's Lucy, and I just joined Fairy Tail," she responded. "Mira asked me to come along so I could learn a thing or two." Actually, it had been to keep Gray from fighting Natsu if they ran into him. "I hope that's ok with you."

"The more the merrier," Erza said. "I'm Erza. Wait, you're the girl I heard about. I was told you defeated a mercenary gorilla using only your pinky finger. It'll be wonderful to have you on board. Thanks for your help."

"M-My pleasure…" Lucy said, thinking, _That's not quite what happened, but ok._ They sat in silence for the first few minutes of the train ride.

"Erza," Gray finally said, "I think it's about time that you start filling us in. What exactly are we doing?"

"Right. I have reason to believe that the dark guild Eisenwald is planning something big. I'm not sure what exactly, but it has to do with a magic item called 'Lullaby'. That's why I wanted Natsu to come with us. I'm not sure if you know this, Lucy, but Natsu is an expert when it comes to forbidden magic items."

"Lullaby?" Gray and Happy asked at the same time.

"Wait, that thing from before?" Lucy gasped.

"I see," Erza muttered with a dark look on her face, though it wasn't directed at them. "So you've run into the Eisenwald guild before."

"Well, I'm not positive they were part of Eisenwald," Gray said. "But they _did_ mention Lullaby."

"It sounds like they were members of the guild who had dropped out of the guild and gone into hiding," Erza mused. "The plan must have been too much for them, so they ran off."

"And that plan has something to do with Lullaby?" Gray said. The armored wizard nodded.

"It's only a guess, but whoever you saw dragging off Happy's kidnappers that day was probably Eisenwald's main squad. They must not have wanted the plan to get out."

"What do you think they're going to try?" Lucy asked, nervous. Erza closed her eyes.

"Let me start from the beginning. It happened the other day, on my way home after that job. I stopped by a pub in Onibas where wizards gather." She told them of the conversation that she overheard.

"Lullaby," Lucy thought out loud. "Like a nursery rhyme, right?"

"Yes," Erza nodded. "And the fact that it's sealed away likely means it's very powerful magic." _All the more reason to find Natsu, and fast!_

"Are you sure that the guys you saw at the pub were members of Eisenwald too?" Gray asked.

"Yes," Erza said softly. "Like a fool, though, I didn't recognize the name 'Erigor' at the time. He's the ace of the Eisenwald dark guild. He only accepts assassination requests, which is why he's earned the name 'Erigor the Reaper'."

"He kills for money?" Lucy asked in shock and horror.

"The council outlawed assassination requests a while back, but Eisenwald decided that money was more important. As a result, it was kicked out of the wizard guild league six years ago. However, they disobeyed orders and remain active to this day."

"Ok, I should be heading back home now," Lucy laughed nervously. She was _really_ scared.

"Lucy's slimy all of a sudden," Happy noted, breaking the tension.

"It's sweat." Erza slammed her hand into her leg.

"I was careless!" she growled. "If only I had recognized Erigor's name then, I could have pulverized them and had them confess their scheme!"

 _Scary!_ Lucy thought.

"I see," Gray said slowly. So Eisenwald is planning to do something with this Lullaby, and you want to stop them because it's obviously something bad?"

"That's correct," Erza affirmed. "I'm not foolish enough to believe I can take on an entire guild by myself. Natsu would be the man for the job if that was the case, but he's not here. That's why I asked for your help. We're storming the Eisenwald guild!"

"Sounds like fun to me!" Gray grinned.

"Aye!"

"I shouldn't have come…"

"Ew, now you're super slimy!"

"I told you, it's sweat!" Later, while they were eating lunch, Lucy asked, "If it's not rude to ask, what kind of magic do you use, Erza?"

"It's not rude," Erza smiled.

"Erza's magic is really pretty!" Happy said, taking his mouth off of his fish. "It makes her enemies bleed... a lot!"

"I don't know if I'd call that pretty," Lucy sweat-dropped.

"Personally, I think Gray's magic is much more beautiful than mine," Erza said.

"Oh, like this?" he said. Placing his right fist in his other hand, he created a beautiful ice version of the Fairy Tail guild mark. "I use ice magic," he explained.

"Is that why you always pick a fight with Natsu even though he totally outclasses you? Because he uses fire and you use ice?"

"I never thought about it that way," Erza said with an amused expression.

"Nah, I just hate his guts." They arrived safely at the Onibas station. "Do you think the Eisenwald guys are still in town?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "That's what we're here to find out."

"I'm still thinking that maybe I should go home," Lucy remarked.

"Hey, is that Natsu in the train?" Happy asked as the train left. Sure enough, he had stuck his head out the window. "Uh-oh, there it goes."

"How could we have not noticed him before?" Erza fumed. "He won't be able to get off until it stops again… Someone hit me for my penance!"

"That's a little much," Lucy sweat-dropped. Never mind Erza being normal, she was one of the craziest.

* * *

Natsu struggled to pull himself together. All he could think was _Please stop please stop please stop_.

"Well, well, the famous Salamander of Fairy Tail," a voice said. "How's the guild treating you these days? Is it worth sticking around?"

"What?" Natsu asked, his mind not at its best because of the motion sickness. The man's foot slammed into his face, cracking the visor.

"Don't act all high and mighty just 'cause you're in an official guild, Mr. Fairy. Do you know what we call you guys? We call you flies!" Natsu glared at him. The man touched one of the horns on his helmet. "Nice helmet. Maybe I'll take it after I swat you." That made him mad. He didn't like people touching the horns.

"Looks like I hit a nerve," he chuckled as Natsu lit hit fist on fire, standing. The train jolted, making the motion sickness worse and making him lose focus, extinguishing the fire. "You call that magic?" he scoffed. "Let me show you how it's done." A magic circle appeared beneath his feet. _Uh-oh._ Black tendrils launched out and knocked him backwards. "It's all in the follow through." Natsu slowly sat up, his addled mind floundering where it normally functioned like a well oiled machine.

"That magic," he muttered under his breath. The train suddenly slowed, throwing them both off balance. The man fell, and a demonic looking flute fell out of his jacket. _Lullaby._

* * *

"What do you think you're doing, lady?" a conductor demanded. "You can't pull the emergency lever without permission!" Lucy watched with shock while Gray and Happy just stood by like it was normal. Knowing Erza, it probably was.

"It's for our comrade," she said. "Please understand."

"Are you kidding me?" he asked.

"Please take our luggage to the hotel," she said, as if he hadn't said anything.

"Do I look like a bellhop?"

"I guess everyone in Fairy Tail is like this after all," Lucy sighed.

"Not all of us," Gray said. Wearing nothing but his boxers.

"Oh yeah? Where are your clothes?"

* * *

 _It stopped!_ Natsu thought with joy. "We stopped moving!" he cackled. The man gave him a funny look. Natsu stopped laughing and set eyes on Lullaby. "That flute," he muttered.

"You saw it!" the man realized with annoyance.

"Shut up! Now it's payback time! **Fire Dragon Iron Fist!** "

" **Guard Shadow!** " A large explosion rocked the car. "Lucky shot," he grunted as the smoke cleared, showing him on the floor.

"Little fly, huh?" Natsu smirked.

"Attention, passengers," a tinny female voice said from a speaker. "Our emergency stop was due to a false alarm. We will depart again shortly."

"Oh, crap!" he shouted. "I gotta go!" All thoughts of Lullaby had left his mind.

"Wait, you!" the man shouted. "You'll pay for messing with the Eisenwald guild."

"Oh, you're with Eisenwald, huh?" He had heard of Eisenwald before. Why not go ahead and beat this guy up? "Let's beat you up!" He ignored the other passengers gathered at the door. "How about we take this outside?" Natsu had a vague memory of an old man asking him to minimize damage.

Of course the train started moving again.

* * *

Lucy still couldn't figure out why Gray was riding on the roof instead of in the cab like she was. Erza drove like a maniac; it was much safer in the cab.

"Natsu!" she shouted. As if on cue, he was thrown out of a window - heading straight at them in all of his heavily armored glory. Poor Gray. If he had been in the cab with Lucy, Natsu wouldn't have hit him. Erza squealed to a stop, rapidly unstrapping to see if they were alright.

"Natsu, Gray, are you hurt?" she demanded.

"I'm fine, thanks to my helmet, uh… whatever your name is… but this guy's out cold." Gray was indeed, out cold. Pun intended.

"That hurt, you idiot!" Gray shouted once he woke up.

"Shut up! I got thrown out a freaking window! What are you guys doing, following me?

"Happy saw you on the train," Erza patiently explained. "I need your help on a job." Natsu stared at her through a cracked visor.

"Do I know you?" he finally asked.

"Tin can," she offered.

"Oh, you. Right. You wouldn't believe what I heard Gray say the other d-"

"Shut up, liar!"

"What caused you to go out the window?" Erza asked, trying to defuse the situation.

"Ah, some weirdo attack me on the tra-" He suddenly remembered Lullaby. "Aw, crap! I can't believe I did that!"

"Did what?" Gray asked

"None ya beeswax, Ice Prick. But the guy said he was with Eisenwald, or something." Erza punched him.

"You fool! We're trying to go after Eisenwald! Why did you let him go?!"

"What the - This is the first I've heard of this!"

"I explained it earlier! Listen when people talk!"

"I don't think she remembers that he wasn't with us on the train," Lucy sweat-dropped. "This woman is unbelievable."

"Yup," Gray agreed.

"That's Erza for you!" Happy exclaimed.

"So, he was on the same train that we were on… Let's find him."

"Cool with me," Natsu shrugged. "I need to pay him back for that nasty hit he gave me."

"What was this guy like?" Gray asked Natsu as Erza revved up the magic-mobile.

"He didn't look like someone from a dark guild," Natsu noted as he climbed in the car unwillingly. How much should he tell them? Best to keep them in the dark about Lullaby. Finding out about a demon flute was a little much for some people. "He did have some kind of flute thing. It looked like a skull with three eyes."

"A three-eyed skull?" Lucy asked.

"That's creepy," Gray muttered.

"Is something wrong, Lucy?" Happy asked.

"It's just… I've heard of that flute before." Natsu started in surprise. She knew about Lullaby? "Lullaby… The cursed song! It's death magic!"

"What?" Erza gasped.

"A cursed song," Gray said, confused. "Like an incantation?"

"I've only ever read about them in books," Lucy continued, "but there are some deadly, forbidden spells out there, right?"

"Yes," Natsu said. "Cursed black magic that kills whomever it's used on."

"Well, if I'm right… Lullaby is even worse!"

* * *

 **Dun dun duh! Long chapter, we get to see Natsu, all that jazz. I love writing Natsu; he's so much fun. Review, please!**


	9. Lullaby Arc: The Reaper

"Hey, slow down, Erza!" Gray shouted from the roof. Lucy wondered why he was still up there, but on further reflection, it was better than hanging out with a persnickety cat and a motion sick Dragon Slayer. "Powering this thing takes a lot of magic energy! Even for you, Erza!"

"I have no choice but to press on!" she shouted back, eyes on the road. "We're running out of time. If Erigor gets his hands on this death magic, trust me - lives will be lost!" _Curse them_ , she thought. _What is it they hope to accomplish? This is madness!_

* * *

"Oh, Macky," the guild master of Blue Pegasus - Bob - crooned. "Your wizards are so full of life and they're such cutie pies! In fact, I hear you've got a girl that gave some big shot quite the spanking!"

"Oh," Makarov said, putting down his beer. "You must mean Lucy! She just joined! She's our newest recruit… and she's got a body that won't quit!"

"So naughty!" Bob exclaimed.

"This is no time to be laughing, Makarov," Goldmine, the master of Quatro Cerberus said. "Your wizards may be spirited, but they always go too far. I hear some of the guys on the council are worried that Fairy Tail's gonna go and obliterate an entire city one of these days. Can't say that I blame them."

"Ah, let those blowhards worry," Makarov exclaimed. "What do I care? They're just jealous my wizards are hot!"

"Oh Macky," Bob said, "you shouldn't talk about your wizards that way."

"Master Makarov! Master Makarov!" a messenger bird called. "A letter from Miss Mirajane!"

"Ah, thanks a lot." He opened it as the bird flew away.

" _Hi, Master_ ," the message Mira said. "I'm glad you made it to the conference safe and sound."

"See?" Makarov said. "This honey's our poster girl. A cutie, ain't she?" The men all stared.

" _Oh, Master. You're not going to believe what happened!_ " Mira smiled. " _It may be the greatest thing in the history of Fairy Tail!_ "

"Really?" he said in surprise.

" _Erza, Gray, and possibly Natsu have teamed up together. An amazing combination, huh? I think they might be the strongest team in Fairy Tail now! Sorry to bother you, but I just had to let you know!_ "

"N-Not those three!" Makarov cried.

"I guess the council has a good reason to be worried," Goldmine snickered.

 _I can't believe this is happening!_ he thought. _Those three really could destroy a city… goodness knows Natsu's almost done it enough!_

* * *

Erza, Gray, Lucy, and Happy watched the commotion down at Kunugi Station as Natsu recovered from his motion sickness.

"I can understand cars and boats, but why would they want to hijack a train?" Lucy said.

"It doesn't really seem to make much sense," Happy agreed, "since it can only follow the tracks."

"Yes," Erza said, "that's true, but they are fast."

"Then I guess it's up to us to figure out where those Eisenwald guys are going in such a big hurry and why," Gray said.

"You're naked, Gray!" Lucy shrieked.

"Keep it down," Natsu pleaded.

"Am I?" the ice wizard asked.

"Still, the army's already taking action, so it's only a matter of time until they're caught," Lucy said.

"Let's hope so," Erza agreed. Natsu groaned as Erza started the car again.

"Stop, Erza!" Gray shouted. "You're going way too fast! You're gonna overload the SE plug."

"Scores of people will die if the Lullaby flute is played!" she shouted back. _Yeah, no kidding_ , Natsu thought. "I can't slow down; we have to stop Eisenwald before it's too late!"

"But at this rate you're gonna use up all your magic before we even start fighting!" he protested.

"If that happens," Erza said with a grim smile, "I'll just have to rely on hand-to-hand combat. Besides, I've got you and Natsu as back-up." _That's why she dragged me here?_ Natsu wondered. _Then again, it has to do with Lullaby, so it shouldn't be too bad._

"I feel like there was something important that I was supposed to tell you, Lucy," Happy said, watching Natsu splayed out on the floor groaning.

"Really?" Lucy replied, eager to get her mind off Lullaby. "Well, what is it?"

"I forget. All I remember is that it had to do with you."

"Totally sick for real," Natsu groaned.

"That's it!" Happy announced.

"Are you kidding me?" Natsu attempted to throw himself out the window, but only got the upper half of his body out.

"Careful, Natsu, you're gonna fall out!" Lucy cried, grabbing on to his belt.

"That's what I'm aiming for," he grunted.

"Hmm… if it's not 'Lucy is totally sick', then what the heck was it?" Happy wondered. Lucy struggled to pull Natsu back into the car, but his dead weight made it hard. "Something weird like that. Lucy's weird? A fish? I like fish! Weird… Weird…"

"Why are you saying that _I'm_ weird?" _Maybe it's because you are_ , Natsu thought.

"What's that up ahead?" Erza asked. Smoke was rising from the Oshibana Station. _If Lullaby gets loose in the city… well, there won't be a city once I'm done with it._ "Excuse me," Erza told a train conductor. "What's going on?"

"Why would I tell you, lady?" the foolish man said. She punched him and knocked him out.

"What's going on?" she demanded of another one. When he didn't answer promptly -probably out of fear - she head-butted him and moved on to the next one. "What's going on?"

"It seems like her questioning method is a little counter-productive," Lucy noted, carrying a still sick Natsu with Gray's help.

"Erza's got her own way of getting things done," Gray explained.

"Where are your clothes and how did you take them off while carrying Natsu?"

"Eisenwald is inside," Erza announced once she was she was done 'questioning' the various conductors. "Let's go."

"You mean I got to drag this heavy lump inside?" Lucy complained.

"Sorry," Natsu muttered.

"A small army unit stormed in earlier," Erza informed them while they ran in, "but hey have yet to return. I'm guessing that they've been caught in battle with the Eisenwald forces. To their shock, they saw said army unit on the stairs, dead.

"They've been completely wiped out!" Happy gasped.

"They were up against an entire guild of wizards," Erza noted. "A small contingent like this never stood a chance against such power." Entering the main area, they saw Eisenwald, with Erigor perched like a bird on the top of the train.

"Welcome to our parlor, Fairy Tail flies!" he chuckled. His guild laughed evilly.

"Oh, wow," Lucy whispered. "There are so many of them!"

"You. Are you Erigor?" Erza demanded. He laughed in response.

"Come on, Natsu," Lucy begged, shaking him. "We need your help!"

"Forget it. He rode a train, a Magic-mobile, and then you," Happy said. "It's a motion sickness triple combo!"

"I'm not a vehicle!" Lucy shouted.

"Hey, you," the man from the train said. "I got in trouble with Erigor because of you." Natsu shifted.

"I know that voice," he muttered, pushing himself up.

"What is your aim?" Erza growled. "What are you planning to do with the Lullaby?"

"You mean you don't know?" he mocked. "What do all train stations have?"

"He flew!" Lucy gasped.

"It's wind magic," Happy explained. Erigor perched on the top of the speaker system.

"You mean you plan to broadcast the Lullaby?" Erza gasped. He cackled.

"Thousands of nosy onlookers have gathered around this station. Who knows, if I raise the volume enough, the melody of death might just echo throughout the entire city…"

"What reason do you have to commit such a heinous crime?" Erza shouted.

"This a cleansing of fools who preserve their livelihoods by flaunting their rights, ignorant of those who've had their rights stolen away. It is a sin to live oblivious to this unfair world. Therefore… the reaper has come to dish out punishment!"

"Killing them isn't going to give you your rights back!" Lucy shouted. "Besides, you were kicked out of the wizard league because you kept doing bad things!"

"At this point," Erigor said, clenching his fist as if to grab something in front of his face, "we don't want rights. We want power! With power, we can wash away the entire past and control the future."

"You're insane!" Lucy shouted.

"So sorry, flies," the man from the train said, powering up a magic circle. "You're going to the afterlife without getting to witness the age of darkness!"

"I don't think so," Natsu said, finally getting to his feet. He punched the shadow fist things before they could touch Lucy. "I knew that I recognized that voice!"

"You're back to normal!" Lucy said happily.

"Oh, looks like we've got ourselves a party here," Natsu smirked. He slammed his fist into his palm. "Ain't this gonna be fun?"

"Natsu, these are the guys we have to fight!" she said. Natsu rarely know, in her experience, who was an enemy and who was an ally.

"Like I said," he said with a feral growl. "It's a party!"

"This is the strongest team Fairy Tail has to offer," Lucy shouted. _Yeah, no thanks to you. And since when did I team up with Tin can and Ice Prick?_ "You'd better be ready!"

"I leave them to you," Erigor said, rising from his perch into the air. "Show them the terror of the dark guild Eisenwald!" He vanished.

"He disappeared!" Lucy and Happy gasped.

"Natsu. Gray. You two go after him," Erza ordered. "If the two of you work together, not even Erigor the Reaper can beat you." _He couldn't beat me alone if he tried._ "I'm leaving him in your hands." Gray glared at Natsu. "Are you listening?" she shouted.

"Aye, Sir!" Gray yelped and ran off.

"Let's get one thing straight, Harpy," Natsu growled, walking up to her. The reflection of her face was jagged in his cracked visor. "I don't take orders from anyone. Not even you. But… just this once, because you've got sensible orders, I'll do it. If I feel even for a moment that your… orders aren't useful, I will abandon them without a second thought. Got it?" She nodded sharply. She would never admit it, but Natsu was terrifying, even to her. He followed Gray.

"Hey, they're going after Erigor," someone shouted.

"I got it," another said, pulling out whip like things. He launched himself to the second floor. "I, the great Rayule, will take them down."

"I'm coming with you," the man from the train said. "That armored dimwit's gonna pay!" He sank into the ground and vanished.

"We'll catch up with them once we've finished of the rest of the men here," Erza asserted.

"Two girls against an entire magical guild?" Lucy gasped. The men made remarks about destroying them.

"I'm sorry, ladies," one said, "you're not gonna be as cute when we're done with you!"

"Without my stunning beauty, I'll be totally helpless," Lucy fretted.

"This is no time for daydreaming, Lucy!" Happy said.

"Let's do this!" Erza announced. A magic circle appeared at her outstretched hand. A sword came out of nowhere and landed in her hand.

"That came out of nowhere!" Lucy yelped.

"Try insulting Fairy Tail again!" Erza shouted, bearing the sword against them. "You won't live to see tomorrow!" The enemy shouted all sorts of bravado as they jumped towards them. With two slashes of her sword, she knocked several of them back. Lucy watched in awe as she annihilated Eisenwald. The sword vanished and became a spear. The spear vanished and became twin swords. Happy explained requiping to Lucy. After being determined to fight too, Lucy summoned Cancer.

"Open, Gate of the Giant Crab: Cancer!"

"You need me to fight these dudes, baby?" he asked her.

"Take 'em out with style!" she grinned. Cancer would destroy these guys. He did.

"Like the new style, baby?" he asked.

"That was impressive," Erza said.

"Thanks, but it was no big deal," Lucy blushed. "All right! I totally scored points with her!"

"That's what you were going for?" Happy asked.

"However, this crab-spirit of yours… the way he calls you 'baby'... I find it rather insulting."

"Points unscored," Lucy complained.

"Whoa, ba- uh, ma'am."

"There are still so many," Erza said to herself. "How annoying. I'll take them all out at once." Happy told Lucy about Erza's specialty in magic - requiping armor.

"Dance, my swords!" she shouted, rising up in the air. She took them all out with a single blow. She returned to her normal armor.

"Forget this, I'm outta here!" the last guy said as he fled.

"I imagine that he's going to follow Erigor," Erza said. "You should follow him."

"Who, me?" she gasped.

"Just do it!" Erza said with a scary look.

"Yes, ma'am!" she shrieked and fled. After she left, Erza swayed and fell to one knee.

"I was right; I overdid it on the Magic-mobile. Please boys… Please don't fail me."

* * *

 **Little bit of Natsu in this chapter... Gray appears a lot in the next chapter... maybe chapter after next we'll see Natsu. Review please!**


	10. Lullaby Arc: Seals

**I would have updated earlier, but I was over at my aunt and uncle's for a sleepover. It was fun.**

* * *

"I can't believe she's making us work together," Gray fumed. "What was she thinking?"

"Obviously she wasn't thinking, uh… whatever your name is."

"It's Gray!"

"Yeah, whatever."

"Why does she always have to be so freaking bossy?"

"Because she knows if she asks you, you won't do it!"

They argued like that for several more minutes until they came to a split hall that went in either direction.

"Now which way?" Natsu wondered. He couldn't smell Erigor in either direction, but he was a wind wizard, so he could cover his scent.

"We'll have to split up," Gray muttered.

"Yo, Gray," Natsu said. "We're dealing with an idiot bent on unleashing dangerous magic. If you find him, beat his brains out!"

"I was already going to do that, trust me." _Lullaby._ If the demons were awakening, with or without human help, it was a bad sign. One every now and then, that was normal. But two, within a decade? Not good. "And do the same for me. I may go overboard and kill him." They split up and began running.

"Wait," Gray said. "If he's going to broadcast the Lullaby…" He ran for the broadcast studio. Kicking the door down, he took a look around. "There's nobody here," he said in surprise. "Maybe I was wrong about my idea…" He was suddenly attacked from above. Gray jumped out of the way just in time.

"That was a pretty good guess, pal," his attacker said. He was hanging from the ceiling by shadowy ropes. "But our plan isn't as obvious as you might think."

"So tell me what the plan is, and you won't get hurt," Gray said with a grin.

* * *

Erza walked out onto the balcony, a megaphone in hand. She listened to the murmuring below for a few moments before raising the megaphone.

"If you value your lives, leave this place at once!" she thundered. "This station's been taken over by evil wizards! They intend to use a spell to kill everyone here! Run as far away as you can!" It worked. The large crowd fled.

"Hey, lady!" a conductor yelled at her. "Why would you start a panic like that?!"

"It's better than having everyone die," she responded. "In fact, you should evacuate as well." She watched the crowd fleeing into the distance. "Now there's no one around the station. What will Erigor's next move be?" She just noticed the harsh wind around her. Turning, she gasped. "It's some kind of wind barrier!" Behind her, Erigor chuckled.

* * *

"There's no escape from my urumi swords!" Rayule laughed as he swung the whips at Gray.

" **Ice Make: Shield!** " he shouted, creating an ice wall in front of the attack.

"This punk uses ice magic?" the other man gasped.

" **Ice Make: Knuckle!** " Rayule went flying through a wall. "Last chance to tell me what the real plan is," Gray told him. "You never planned to broadcast the Lullaby over the speakers, did you?" Rayule chuckled.

"Erigor's Wind Barrier should be active right about now," he said.

"Erigor's what?"

"He's created a wind barrier to keep you insects from escaping," the dark wizard laughed.

* * *

"I've always wanted to fight you, Queen of the Fairies," Erigor said. "But it's a pity. I have no time to play with you now!" He raised his hand, a magic circle appearing. The next thing Erza knew, she had been flung inside of the wind barrier.

"Erigor!" she shouted angrily, charging the barrier. She slammed her arm into it, but it just wounded her and knocked her back.

"Forget it," he told her. "This Wind Barrier is one-way only. Try to leave, and the wind will tear you apart."

"What is the meaning of this?!" she shouted.

"You people have wasted much of our time. I must be going now."

"Come back here!" It was no use. "Curse you, Erigor! I'll find a way to stop you! So he wasn't targeting this station after all. Just what is he planning?"

* * *

"Why don't I get straight to the point here, buddy?" Gray snarled. "Explain what's going on!"

"We simply created a cage to hold some flies. We only took over this station to block all traffic to the final stop… Clover."

"What?"

"Clover is beyond a large gorge, and this train line is the only way in or out. Unless you're able to fly, like Erigor!"

"So the Lullaby's in Clover?" Gray mused.

"Know what else is in Clover? Try to remember," Rayule taunted. Gray's eyes widened as he realized. Rayule knocked him back at the same time. "Gotcha!" _Clover… That's where the guild master conference is! They're targeting the guild masters!_ Determination filled him as he settled into a battle stance. "Finally figured it out?" Rayule laughed. "Too late to do anything about it, though!"

"You must be feeling pretty braze, taking on a bunch of powerful old wizards!" Gray shouted as he was knocked back again.

"Those ignorant old fogies won't even know what hit them! Erigor will succeed; I know it!" Rayule's whips wrapped around Gray tightly. "And you pests are stuck in this station! No one can stop him now! Soon, we'll have our revenge on everyone who ever oppressed us! They're all about to disappear for good!" Gray pulled his magic up and began to freeze the whips. When the ice reached the man's fingers, Gray shattered it.

"That's not gonna happen!" he snarled. Rayule watched in horror as ice covered his body. "Now get this straight… You mess with the guild masters, you mess with all of us! They may be old fogies, but they're the closest things we have to parents!" Gray pressed his hand to Rayule's face. "And we'll make you regret ever thinking about hurting them!"

* * *

Natsu ran hard down the hall. Crap, his armor was heavy! There was something following him - probably that dark guild guy that he had met on the train - but he ignored it and kept running.

"It's time to strike," Kageyama chuckled to himself.

* * *

"Where did that fat one run off to?" Lucy wondered.

"You better find him, or else Erza's gonna strangle you!" Happy said helpfully.

"What?!"

* * *

"When I get my hands on them," Gray muttered as he left the broadcast studio, "I'll show them that Fairy Tail can be much more terrifying than any dark guild." He ignored the completely frozen over Rayule behind him.

* * *

"Forget it," the man told Erza. His pals were all tied up. "It's impossible! You know we can't undo the wind barrier."

"Erza!" Gray shouted from the second floor.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were with Natsu!"

"We split up! But never mind that! Eisenwald's real target is the town up ahead!"

"What?"

"Erigor's headed to the conference as we speak! He's planning to use the Lullaby there!"

"Why didn't you tell me that before!" she shouted at the man in her hands. He cowered under her. Turning her attention to Gray, she said. "There's a problem… The station is surrounded by a wind barrier."

"Yeah, I saw it," Gray said. "Try to break out and it'll turn you into mincemeat."

"I've already tried that," she told him.

"Is your arm ok?" he asked anxiously when he saw it.

"It's nothing. But, as we speak, Erigor is nearing the guild masters. Wait a minute… I remember that there was someone in Eisenwald named Kageyama… We have to find that man; he's the one who broke Lullaby's seal."

"A seal breaking wizard? He could remove the wind barrier!"

"That's what I'm hoping. Now, let's start searching!"

* * *

"We completely lost him," Lucy sighed.

"Aye."

"What do you say we head back to Erza for now?" Happy took the suggestion badly. He shrieked. "What's with that reaction?" she asked.

"Erza gave you an order to go after him," he shuddered. "Y-You have to do what she says, Lucy… Ignoring an order from Erza is never a good idea! And if I have to watch her punish you, it'll scar me for life!" Lucy shrieked in horror.

"What kind of punishment are we talking about here? I was just kidding! We'll look until we find him!"

"Your mood sure changes easily, Lucy."

"Shut up, you stupid cat! Why are you even following me?"

* * *

Parts of the station exploded as Natsu searched for Erigor. "Where are you hiding?!" He completely ignored the doors and pulled a Gildarts, smashing through the walls. "Where is he?" he panted, glancing around.

"Now that Erigor is safely out," Kageyama mused, "I could just let him go." Natsu's ear cocked as he heard the muttering. It would be easier without a helmet, but that was the price he paid for keeping his face hidden. "But what would be the fun in that?" His scent suddenly hit Natsu's nose. He spun, just in time to be knocked backwards. "There! I've wanted to do that for a while now, you motion-sick fly!" Natsu stood, completely oblivious to the picture stuck on his head. Kageyama laughed. "You've got a little something on your face." Natsu tried in vain to pull the picture off.

"Well, ain't that annoying," he muttered. "You really bother me, Doggie."

"It's Kage! The name's Kageyama!"

"Same thing, really."

"Anyway, I've got you all figured out. You eat fire to increase your power; shouldn't be too hard to snuff out." Natsu glared at him as the picture on his head erupted in fire.

"You know, I really want to beat you up, but I don't have the time. Tell me where Erigor is, and I may let you live!"

"Ooh, I'm so scared. If you defeat me, I'll think about telling you. **Knuckle Shadow!** " Natsu had two options. On one hand, he really didn't have time to deal with this. On the other, ten minutes wasted here could cut a couple hours off his search.

"So I get the info I want, _and_ I get to give you a beating? Sounds great!" If Kageyama could see his face now, he would be running for his life. "I'm getting all fired up!"

* * *

The building shook violently. Lucy and Happy stopped and looked around.

"What is that?" she asked.

"It sounds like Natsu found someone," Happy shuddered. "And that he's using magic. We'd better find them before Natsu kills him."

"Kills him?" Lucy yelped. The more she found out about Natsu, the more she feared him.

"Aye. Natsu is infamous for killing his opponents. I heard that one time, he was asked on a job to defeat a bandit chief… He gave the client the chief's head." Lucy went wide eyed with horror. "He was eleven at the time, too."

"Natsu is really, really scary," she whispered.

* * *

Natsu nimbly dodged every attack, laughing the entire time. He hadn't had this much fun in at least a year.

" **Snake Shadow!** You can't dodge my Snake Shadow! It'll follow you wherever you go!" _Well, crap._

" **Fire Dragon Wing Attack!** " he roared.

"He defeated the Snake Shadow in one blow? Impossible!"

"You think my attacks are impossible?" Natsu laughed. "My very existence is impossible… so don't get me started." Kageyama frowned.

"This'll tear you to shreds… **Whip Shadow!** " Natsu's eyes widened. Painful memories filled his head.

"No," he whimpered. "No." _The crack of a whip. A splatter of blood on the crimson floor. A cry of anguish._ "No." _A little boy's back being torn to shreds beneath a whip._ " **NO.** " _The cracks of two whips, as if a single whip wasn't enough._ " _ **NO.**_ " _A whimper of pain from a frail body that was more dead than alive from months of torture._ " _ **NO!**_ " Natsu screamed. An explosion of fire destroyed the spell, throwing Kageyama through a wall. " **I will destroy you** ," Natsu said. His voice was deeper and layered, like there was more than one person speaking. " **Say your prayers.** " The flames grew more intense.

"You..." Kageyama whispered. What he was seeing could not be real. It was something from a nightmare. "You're a monster!"

" **One difference,** " Natsu said. " **Monsters show mercy. I don't.** "

* * *

 **That is more than a little terrifying... Makes you wonder what happened to Natsu... Well, on a positive note, I shouldn't take too long to update tomorrow. Review, please!**


	11. Lullaby Arc: Dragon Rise

"Is that…" Gray said.

"Yes," Erza replied. "We should find him as soon as possible."

* * *

"Natsu?" Lucy asked nervously.

* * *

Erza and Gray ran in to see Natsu holding Kageyama with one hand, the other charging up a spell. He hadn't killed the man yet, so that was good.

"Natsu!" Erza yelled. Natsu turned his head to look at them. The flaming backdrop made him look like a demon from the pits of hell. "Do not harm him! We need him!" Natsu looked back at the man in his hand, then let him slump against the wall. "Did you kill him?"

"I was going to, when I was rudely interrupted." Erza drew a sword and continued charging. Natsu neatly sidestepped her and allowed her to swipe the sword at Kageyama.

"You will dispel the wind barrier, and you will do so without complaint!" she ordered. "Understood?"

"Fine," he snapped, though obviously shaken. He suddenly gasped in pain as a hand came from his chest. "Why, Karaka?" he gasped before collapsing. Natsu watched, disinterested. Did he really think that his guild mates wouldn't betray him eventually?

"Kage!" Erza shouted.

"No!" Gray said. "He was our only way out of here!" _Seriously? Guess I've got to beat someone else up._

"Kage, don't you dare die on us!" Erza said. "We need your help; do you hear me?"

"I think we're losing him, Erza," Gray said.

"You're the only one who can remove the Wind Barrier! Don't die!"

"You know," Natsu said to Karaka as he lit his fist on fire, "it's not nice to kill people who trust you." He slammed through the wall when he disappeared. "It bugs me when people aren't nice."

"Natsu, don't kill him," Erza said sharply.

"And why shouldn't I?" Natsu asked, holding Karaka by the front of his shirt.

"If you kill him, you are no better than he is. That, and the master asked you not to kill anyone else." Natsu glanced at her, then at the dark wizard, then back at Erza.

"I make my own rules," he said, charging up a spell. Lucy closed her eyes and pressed her hands to her ears, not wanting to hear. Gray eventually pulled her hands away.

"It's over," he said, looking both sick and disgusted.

"Please, Kage," Erza begged. "Just stay with us."

"It's no use, Erza!" Gray shouted. "He's unconscious!" Erza began shaking him.

"We can't let him die! He has to do this!"

"Shaking him like that isn't going to help," Natsu said, pushing her aside. "Move over, I can heal him." Golden light covered his hands as he began to heal Kageyama. "Don't know why I'm doing this," he muttered. "I should save my energy." Natsu ignored it when Lucy and Happy came in, focusing on his magic. When he was finished, he stood, swaying before collapsing to the ground.

"Natsu!" Erza said.

"I'm fine," he muttered. "Healing takes a lot out of me, since I don't use it naturally."

"What!" Lucy shouted. Natsu winced. She apologized before continuing. "Erigor's real target is the guild masters?"

"Shut up, Luigi!" Natsu snapped. "I'm trying to recover here!" _I need to build my magic back up… Pulling myself back after I almost killed Kageyama took a lot of magic… If I have to fight Erigor, my only option may be to use my forbidden magic… Magic so strong that I've forbidden myself to ever use it unless necessary…_

"We have to stop Erigor," Erza said, "but he's trapped us inside here. Natsu, is there anything you can do?"

"Don't think so," he replied. "Not right now. I need to recover more of my magic first."

"You're an S-class wizard!" Gray shouted. "Aren't you supposed to be super powerful or something?"

"I lost a lot of magic doing something that doesn't concern you," Natsu growled. "I simply don't have the strength!"

"If we could get out of here," Gray thought, "we could catch up to him in the Magic-mobile, right?"

"In case you haven't noticed," Natsu said, gesturing to the wind barrier.

"Kage!" Erza said. "You're our only hope right now!" Natsu lit his fist on fire.

"You keep trying to wake him up, Ellie," he said. "I'm gonna try to bust through with force." He slammed into the wall. "Hey, Emma, I can get through here. Don't think I can take you guys though."

"Then go!" she shouted, ignoring that he got her name wrong twice. "We'll catch up with you!" Natsu vanished in the wind.

"I remember!" Happy shouted into Lucy's ear. She yelped.

"Remember what?"

"What I was trying to tell you on the way here!"

"Oh, when you kept calling me weird?"

"Look!" For some strange reason, he had Virgo's key.

"How did you get your paws on Virgo's key?" she shouted. "Didn't anyone teach you that it's wrong to steal things?"

"But I didn't steal it! Virgo asked me to give it to you!" Lucy pulled back in shock.

"Urgh. This is no time for this nonsense," Gray said. "And who's Virgo?"

"She was the gorilla maid that we told you about," Lucy said.

"Everlue was arrested," Happy explained, "so apparently their contract was annulled. She visited us later and said she wants to make a contract with you, Lucy!"

"Great, I get a big ugly spirit," she sighed. "I'm glad to hear it, but this is no time for that! We need to figure a way out of here."

"But-"

"Shut up! Why can't you just meow like other cats?!"

"She can be pretty scary," Gray muttered. "Must have learned it from Erza."

"I'm sorry," Happy cried. "I just figured that since Virgo can dive through the ground, maybe we could go under the wind barrier to get out…"

"She can!" Erza said in surprise.

"Are you serious?" Gray shouted.

"Oh, right!" Lucy said, hoping that Erza wouldn't kill her. "You're so smart, Happy! Why didn't you suggest that sooner?"

"Because someone was pinching my face!"

"Sorry! I'm sorry! I'll make it up to you later somehow! I promise! Please just let me have the key!"

"Buy me a fish and we're even!" Happy exclaimed. Lucy took a deep breath before beginning.

"I call upon thee in the world of the celestial spirits! And now, I beckon you to my side! Pass through the gate! **Open, Gate of the Maiden: Virgo!** " When the slender girl appeared, Happy said. "Better luck next time."

"You summoned, Mistress?" she said. "What can I do for you?"

"Who are you?" Lucy asked.

"I'm Virgo," she said. "I apologize for causing you trouble earlier."

"Why does she look like that?" Lucy shrieked.

"I'm a very loyal spirit," Virgo explained. "I take whatever form my master prefers."

"Natsu told me he kind of liked it when you were all big and tough looking," Happy said.

"Really?" Virgo said. "Well, then," and she changed back into gorilla form, "I can switch back if you like."

"Don't listen to him!" Lucy yelled as Gray panicked. "I'm your wizard, and I like your other form better!" Virgo returned to the other form.

"As you wish." Gray and Lucy both sighed in relief.

"I'm afraid we don't have much time," Lucy told the celestial spirit. "Can the contract wait until later?"

"Of course, Mistress."

"Do you really have to call me 'Mistress'?" Lucy asked as Virgo's eyes zeroed in on her whip.

"Would you prefer I call you 'Queen'?"

"No!"

"What about 'Princess'?"

"Oh, yeah, that's more like it," Lucy said, completely changing her mind.

"Princess?" Gray scoffed. "Yeah, right. Just hurry it up, ladies."

"Very well, then." A magic circle appeared beneath her feet and she tunneled down.

"Look at her go!" Gray said.

"Great thinking, Lucy," Erza said, giving her a painful hug.

"It was my idea!" Happy wailed.

"All right!" Gray shouted. "Let's go through the hole!" Erza helped Gray pick up an unconscious Kageyama.

"We can't let him get away now that Natsu's healed him," she explained. He started to stir a little.

"We're out!" Gray shouted above the noise of the wind.

"Let's head toward Clover!" Erza shouted. "Natsu will need all of the help he can get!"

"Whoa, this wind is crazy!" Lucy shouted.

"Princess, your underwear might show!" Virgo shouted, helping Lucy keep her skirt down. **(A/N This wouldn't happen if you wore decent clothes, Lucy!)**

"What about your own?" Lucy asked.

"Oh, man," Gray muttered, his face turning bright red before he looked away.

"It's no use," Kageyama chuckled. "You'll never be able to catch up to him. You can't stop us… We've won."

"Natsu went on ahead of us," Erza snapped. "He's the one who took you down. Do you really think that Erigor can stand a chance against him?"

"You should really watch you back!" Natsu shouted as he kicked Erigor out of the sky. They were both too close to Clover for comfort. He landed lightly on his feet, turning to see where Erigor had crashed.

"You again," Erigor said, rising. "You're one of those pesky Fairy Tail flies… What are you doing here?"

"Well, one of the guild masters that you're planning on killing gives me work and a place to lay low from the magic council… so as you can guess, I'm not too keen on you killing him." He lit his hands on fire. "I'm not letting you get past me, you dress-wearing windbag!"

"Why?" Kage asked. "Why are you taking me with you?"

"Because you still need a doctor, and since everyone left town, you'll have to go to Clover. Try and show some gratitude."

"Yeah," Gray added. "Natsu wanted to kill you, you know."

"No. Why are you helping me? Why did you stop that demon from killing me? We're enemies." Lucy merely frowned at him. "Ah, I get it," he muttered. "I'm your hostage, and you're going to make a deal with Erigor." He snorted. "Forget it. He's cold-hearted to the core. He won't give a crap about me."

"Sheesh, lighten up, dude," Lucy said.

"If you want to die," Gray said, "we can always give you back over to Natsu. He'll be more than willing to kill you, I bet." Kage looked up in surprise.

"Chill, Gray," Lucy said.

"There's a whole lot more to this world than just life and death," Gray continued. "Live a little more positively. You and your Eisenwald pals." A sudden bump threw them around, resulting in Lucy's butt crashing into Kage's face. "What happened, Erza?" he shouted.

"It's ok," she called back. "Everything's fine now!"

"I'm so sorry," Lucy said to Kage.

"Could your butt be any bigger?" he asked incredulously.

"That's harassment! Kill him, Gray!"

"Sheesh, so much for your own advice!"

Erza felt herself grow weaker. _My vision is blurring. I must have used more magic energy than I thought. Natsu… You have to stop Erigor!_

* * *

Natsu sneezed.

* * *

 _It's all up to you until we get there!_ she thought. _I know you don't care for the guild the way the rest of us do, but please, just this once, have a conscience! Have a heart!_

* * *

 **So what did you guys think of Natsu's scary side? We get to see it again with Erigor! Who wants to take bets on whether or not Erigor's going to live? Review please, as always!**


	12. Lullaby Arc: Purple Flare

**Yeah! We get to see Natsu and Erigor fight! This is going to be awesome! And it's not going to end well for Erigor, methinks. I'm listening to the Fairy tail theme by Taylor Davis while I'm writing this, and feeling SO awesome it's not even funny. Seriously, I am fangirling so hard right now.**

* * *

"I'm gonna burn you, and that stupid flute to a crisp!" Natsu shouted. Actually, he was going to do a lot more to the flute, but Erigor didn't need to know that.

"So you broke out of my wind barrier, huh? What a pesky fly you are. You are in my way, kid. Begone." Natsu snorted.

"You know, some people say that the dark wizard Zeref turned a simple death flute into the Lullaby we all know and love," Natsu said, pulling off his helmet. Erigor gasped in horror. "Turned it into a 'demon flute'. But trust me… I am a thousand times worse than a thousand Lullabies." He put his helmet back on. Showing his face had done its purpose. "Not so much of a fly now, am I?" Erigor's response was to throw a blast of wind at Natsu. _He saw what I look like, and he's still fighting me? Either this guy is really powerful, or really stupid._ "Is that all you've got?" he taunted. He jumped up, flames covering his hands and feet as he attacked Erigor. "What are you doing up there, you coward?" he shouted at a flying Erigor. "Fight me like a man, you pesky fly!"

"Don't get cocky, bug!" he shouted. " **Storm Bringer!** " A tornado landed on Natsu. He cried out in pain. It threw him over the edge of the tracks. If he could heal the bones, then maybe - no. He would not allow himself to use them. He would have to figure out something else.

"Man, this sucks," he muttered as he fell. "I wasn't expecting that at all! What do I do?" _I'm sorry, Igneel. I failed._

A memory from long, long ago came to mind.

 _"Come on, Natsu, you can do better than that," Natsu's teacher, Chase Conbolt, said. He was using his fire to pick up a beer mug. "Now watch how I do it."_

 _"That's… really cool."_

 _"It's called Purple Flare, and -"_

 _"Isn't purple a girl color?"_

 _"Don't interrupt, kid," Chase laughed, and ruffled Natsu's hair, to the boy's dislike. "As I said, it's called Purple Flare, and it can do a lot more than just burn stuff!"_

 _"How come my fire burns everything?" Natsu demanded._

 _"Because you don't know how to make it not burn." Natsu just stared at him in confusion. "If you ask for it from deep down. the fire will respond on its own. Do that, and not even water or wind can beat it!"_

 _"That doesn't make any sense," Natsu told Chase. "I don't understand at all."_

 _"You will, kid," Chase promised, squeezing his head with the op of his hand. "Promise. One day, you'll get it. How about we go get some chow?"_

 _"Yes!"_

* * *

Natsu reached inside of him with a growl as he fell. He was _not_ going to die today. A pillar of flame rose from the abyss and turned into a hand. It grabbed the tracks and pulled Natsu up with it. He landed neatly on solid ground.

"That was close," he said. "You know, Erigor, you are _really_ starting to tick me off."

"That's impossible," Erigor muttered. "How did he do that?"

"Your little pal said something pretty close to that," Natsu cackled. "I would have killed him, but one of my pals convinced me not too. But she's not here now, is she?"

"Your flames are powerless against me!" Erigor said.

"Let's see about that… **Fire Dragon Roar!** "

" **Storm Wall!** " A huge explosion occurred when the two collided. "It seems I somewhat underestimated your strength. What do you say we both fight for real now?"

"Sounds good to me," Natsu grinned. "Only one of us is coming out of this alive, and it sure as heck ain't gonna be you!

" **Storm Mail!** " Well, crap. Now he was covered in swirling wind, which meant that Natsu couldn't use his fire properly. "Here I come!" Natsu covered his fist with flames and punched him. It pushed him back, just like he thought. "What's the matter? Can't handle the breeze?"

"Coward!" he shouted. "You just had to wrap yourself in something annoying! Let's try something else. **Fire Dragon Iron Fist!** " Nope, that didn't work either.

"Just as I thought," Erigor chuckled. "Your destructive strength comes from your fire alone. You have no effect on me now."

"You wanna bet?" Natsu snarled. The wind intensified, blowing him backwards.

"Yes, I do. The wind of my Storm Mail is always blowing outward. Understand what that means? If you get too close, it'll smother your flames, leaving you powerless."

"Oh, yeah?!"

"Fire can _never_ defeat wind!"

 _This is intense. It's like standing inside a typhoon!_

"It's time to blow your flame out for good!" The wind became even more intense. " **Storm Shred!** " _Uh-oh._ He managed to dodge the attack, jumping up with a lighted fist.

"I… have to… break through!" It was no use. The wind slammed him back into the tracks. He screamed in pain as he felt bones break. Not only were his attacks a waste of magic energy, he still didn't have enough left to heal himself. Every movement was agonizing. "Ok, forget fire. I can't even get close to him! Crap!"

"Feeling a little frustrated, boy?" Erigor taunted. "Don't be too hard on yourself, you never had a chance to begin with. Well, no matter. I'll end this now! This Soaring Phoenix magic rips everything to shreds! Even the armor you think you have kept hidden from me! **Emera Baram!** " A series of magic circles appeared. _Oh,_ _ **crap.**_ _It'll tear me apart if it hits me… But I can't dodge it! Guess I'm going to have to try weathering through it! Hehe, I make stupid puns just before I die._ "Time to die, cinder-faced brat!" The spell hit him straight on, destroying several sleepers before grinding to a halt. He screamed as broken bones moved in ways that they were never supposed to. "Oh? I'm impressed his body's still in one piece! Not bad, for a young wizard. Don't worry, I'll send the old geezers to join you soon enough. Using the sound of the Lullaby, of course." _Lullaby._ He couldn't let it get unleashed. Natsu slammed his fist into the ground.

" **All you talk about is this Lullaby** ," Natsu said. His voice was deeper and layered. If Kageyama was there, he would advise Erigor to run for his life. " **I'm getting kind of sick of it. Didn't I tell you that I'm a thousand times worse than a thousand Lullabies?** " Erigor pulled back in shock as Natsu lifted from the ground, hovering in a manner similar to his own.

"Impossible! How are you even standing?" Erigor shouted.

" **Like I said; I'm a thousand times worse than a thousand Lullabies. You plan on using the Lullaby? Gook luck. It won't work against me.** "

"How?" Erigor cried. This was impossible. Natsu pulled his helmet off and let it drop to the ground. The demonic look on his face would make any other criminal pee his pants.

" **You want to fight for real? Ok, let's fight for real.** " A sword made of black fire appeared in his hand. " **Do you like it? This is my Death Blade. It's made of fire and the souls of those I've already killed with it. It looks like I'll be adding you to the collection. Let's get started.** " A single slash cut through the Storm Mail like it wasn't even there. An intense fire grew around him, drawing off his defense.

"That's a very odd type of magic," Erigor grunted, increasing the wind so Natsu couldn't get him with the blade. "It's like his emotions are transforming into actual, physical flames. Wait… Flames of Emotion?! But how could that be? It's an ancient magic! How did this brat learn ancient magic? What the - It's drawing my wind towards him!" Natsu grinned as Erigor came to his conclusion. He was intentionally making himself angry so that his Flames of Emotion would activate and draw off the Storm Mail. Then, he could get him with the Death Blade. "His flames are blowing away my Storm Mail!"

" **Didn't you say that fire could never defeat wind?** "

"Curse you!" _His fire magic is so strong! Surely he couldn't be…!_

" **Fire Dragon Sword Horn!** " Natsu could just kill Erigor now, but where was the fun in that? He was able to play with his prey now. _A Dragon Slayer! They truly exist!_ Erigor slowly stood. " **I'm surprised you're still standing** ," Natsu chuckled. " **At least I get the fun of killing you while you're standing.** " Saying that, he stabbed Erigor through the heart. He watched as the life drained out of his face, and the corpse slumped against the blade. Natsu allowed the blade to dissipate. He used his normal to pull the magic he had forbidden himself to use - but ended up using anyway - back into himself. He fell to his hands and knees, panting. He had used too much magic. Scrounging up the last dredges of his magic, he healed his broken bones and more severe wounds. He barely had enough strength to crawl over to his helmet and pull it on before passing out.

* * *

"Hey, I think that's Natsu and Erigor up ahead!" Gray shouted.

"What!" Lucy and Kage shouted at the same time.

"They've both collapsed, though. Can't tell who won." When they arrived at the scene, it was obvious that something big had gone down between them. Erigor was dead, and Natsu was unconscious from loss of magic. "The idiot went overboard," Gray chuckled.

"Are you alright, Erza?" Lucy asked anxiously as she helped her down from the driver's seat.

"Yes, don't worry about me," she responded. "How's Natsu, Gray?"

"Out cold from using too much magic," he called.

"Impossible," Kage said. "Erigor never loses!"

"Huh," Gray said. "Remind me to tell him when he wakes up just how stupid that scarf makes him look when he wears it with that outfit."

"Shut up," Natsu muttered.

Erza began to laugh. "Well done, Natsu," she said. "You saved the masters."

"Whoopdeedoo," Natsu muttered, raising a hand in the air only to let it fall again a moment later. "I saved some old geezers that are gonna die in a few years anyway." Erza ignored him and went on.

"While we're here, let's go to the conference to report about this incident and ask our master what to do about the flute."

"Leave it with me," Natsu said from the ground. "I know how to take care of it."

"Might as well, since we're so close to Clover!" Happy said, helping Natsu sit up. Suddenly, the Magic-mobile was launched into the air by shadows as Kage got away with the Lullaby flute.

"Kage!" Erza shouted.

"What are you doing?" Gray demanded.

"The Lullaby is mine! You let your guard down, flies!"

"No, no, no, no!" Natsu shouted. "Give it back!" He started to run after the car, but collapsed again.

"Natsu," Lucy whispered. "Take it easy, you lost a lot a magic energy fighting Erigor."

"If he unleashes the Lullaby," Natsu growled weakly, "there's gonna be hell to pay."

"After him!" Erza ordered.

* * *

 **Grr. Curse you, Kage. Next, we get to see the fight between Fairy Tail and Lullaby! Review please! Edit: Some of you are probably wondering why this Chase guy is teaching Natsu that, and not Macao. One of you actually asked me about that, and I'm glad! :) Macao is in this story, but the reason Chase is teaching Natsu this... well, it's complicated and *winks* spoilers. Don't worry, it'll be explained later.**


	13. Lullaby Arc: Zeref's Demon

**So my birthday is next week, so I'll be giving a reverse birthday present. I'll be posting a new chapter for every story, as well as a new story. (If I can type it up in time.) And sorry about taking forever to update. I was busy, then grounded, then busy again, and... well, I'm sure you don't care what I've been doing. Keep calm, and read on!**

* * *

Kage watched in surprise at the old man in front of him. The man panicked when he saw Kage. As he made frantic excuses as to why he was drooling over the Sorcerer's Weekly, Kage just sighed and told him that he didn't really care what he was doing with it.

"Huh," the man said. "You've been hurt badly, boy. You shouldn't be wandering around the woods in your condition."

"Yes, sir," he said. "You're right." _Wait a second… That's Makarov, Fairy Tail's guild master. Why do I keep running into these flies?_ "Excuse me," Kage said, an idea coming to mind. "I don't suppose you'd care to hear a song? They wouldn't let me play my flute while I was in the hospital. It'd mean a lot to play for someone again!"

"That's one creepy looking flute you've got there," Makarov said doubtfully.

"I know," Kage smiled, "but it has a beautiful sound!"

"Hmm," the old man pondered. "Well, I should be going, but I guess one song couldn't hurt." _You have no idea, fool._

"Oh, thank you!" _We win._ "Be sure to listen carefully, ok, sir?" He lifted the Lullaby to his mouth, then paused. _This is it…_ Memories entered his mind.

 _"Who'd want to join a legal guild, anyway? They suck,"_ Rayule had said once.

 _"For people with so little skill, they shouldn't act so big!"_

 _"The Lullaby's song will be our revenge against the magic world!"_

 _"Killing innocent people isn't going to give you your rights back!"_ The blonde girl had said that.

 _"Live a little more positively. You and and your Eisenwald pals._ "

 _"Kage! We really need your help right now!"_

* * *

"There he is!" Gray said.

"Master!" Erza shouted.

"Shh," Master Bob said. Gray, Natsu, and Lucy all panicked. Master Bob was really creepy. "It's just getting good! Watch quietly! Aren't you adorable?" he said, directing his attention to Natsu and Gray. They both tried to flee. It was kind of funny watching big bad Natsu freak out like that.

"Who is that guy?" Lucy whispered to Erza.

"Master Bob," she replied.

"Erza, honey, you've grown!" he said.

"You're telling me that weirdo is the master of Blue Pegasus!"

* * *

"Well?" Makarov said. "I can't wait all night, young man." He raised the Lullaby back to his mouth.

* * *

"Oh, no!" Erza cried out.

"Just be quiet and watch," Goldmine said while Natsu and Gray struggled to get free of Master Bob. Natsu succeeded and fled behind Erza, leaving Gray to fend for himself. "This is getting good."

"The Quatro Cerberus' -"

"Master Goldmine," Erza affirmed.

* * *

"Well?" Makarov asked. Kage stared at the flute, his resolve shaking. _I can do this… All I have to do is play it. And that will change everything!_ The old man sighed. "Nothing's going to change," he said. Kage looked up in shock. "You cannot change the fact that those who are weak will remain weak. No, maybe it's just me, but I don't think that's a bad thing. People are weak creatures by nature. People's insecurities are why guild exist. Why comrades exist. They come together and move forward, to live life to the fullest. If you're clumsy, you might run into more obstacles and take a long way around, but as long as you step forward with faith in tomorrow, you'll find that your strength will emerge on its own. You'll be able to smile, and live life to the fullest. You don't need some special flute for that." Kage let the flute fall to the ground as he fell to his knees.

"I surrender," he whispered.

"Master!" Erza shouted.

"Good job, Gramps!" Gray added. Natsu watched them with a strange feeling inside of him. He crushed it quickly, though. _There's a lot of truth in what you said there, old man,_ he thought. _It's been the only thing keeping me somewhat sane and somewhat a good guy._

"What are you guys doing here is Clover?!" Makarov asked in surprise.

"That was well said!" Erza exclaimed. "Your words were truly moving!"

"Hard!"

"Looks like it's all over now," Gray remarked. Natsu saw something strange from his vantage point on the hill.

"Everyone, get away from the flute!" he roared. Nobody questioned him when the flute started talking.

" _ **I grow tired of all you gutless wizards!**_ " It laughed.

"Something came out!" Happy exclaimed.

"Lullaby's true form," Erza heard Natsu mutter. "I was trying to stop this from happening."

"You mean you knew about this?" she shouted angrily. A large magic circle appeared above them.

" _ **I can no longer hold back! I shall eat you myself!**_ " Natsu start to run between them, but fell. _Crap… I'm still not strong enough. If this was the first thing that had happened today, I could do it no problem, but… No. I can't use that magic… Not in front of everyone._ Lullaby's true - humongous - form stood over the conference hall.

"Everyone get back!" Natsu shouted. "Erza, evacuate the area."

"I will not take orders from yo-" Natsu grabbed the edge of her armor and lifted her clear off the ground.

"Do what I say, or else." She stared for a moment, then nodded.

"Clear the area!" _The army needs to leave. Lullaby will destroy them. Either that, or I'll destroy them by accident while fighting Lullaby._

" _ **I shall feast upon your pitiful souls!**_ " No. It couldn't be. Was that really Natsu Dragneel that it saw? Maybe this feast wouldn't be so pitiful after all.

"It's so big!" Lucy exclaimed.

"That's your complaint!" Happy shouted.

"What is that thing?" Kage asked with horror. "Erigor never said anything about this!"

"We're in a pickle," Bob said calmly.

"It must be a demon from the Book of Zeref," Goldmine said. Natsu nodded.

"One of the weaker ones, but still very powerful. I'll have to be careful." _Especially since I'm so weak._

"Why did a monster come out of the flute?" Lucy asked.

"That what Lullaby really looks like," Goldmine said. "It's living magic, in other words. Zeref's magic."

"Living magic?" Erza asked.

"Who's Zeref?" Gray asked.

"A powerful dark wizard," Natsu said. "He lived almost four hundred years ago, and created many demons… Lullaby, Deliora -" Gray's eye went wide with horror at that - "and many, many more."

" _ **Now then, which of these delectable souls shall I dine on first?**_ "

"Back off, Lullaby," Natsu said, placing himself in between them. "You recognize me, don't you? Yeah, you do." In the distance, he heard the army getting ready to charge. _Those idiots! Are they trying to get themselves killed?_

"That big hunk of wood can't scare us! Charge!" Lullaby, in response, destroyed a nearby mountain with a single spell. _Lullaby's become stronger,_ Natsu realized. _That was one of its weaker spells. Maybe if I can get it angry enough, I can draw it away from the city._ The army fled.

" _ **I have no need for those pathetic humans**_ ," Lullaby said, turning back to Natsu. " _ **I prefer the taste of a wizard's soul, and I will consume all of yours!**_ "

"Over my dead body!" Natsu roared. "Bring it, you oversized tinderbox!"

"Can Natsu really defeat Lullaby on his own?" Lucy wondered.

"He has us to help him," Erza said from behind her, Gray by her side.

"I thought I told you to evacuate!" Natsu snapped, his eyes on Lullaby.

"You are still very weak after today's events," Erza said. "You may need our help." Natsu glanced at her and decided that it would be better if he let them help. If Lullaby was distracted by one one them, the other two could attack. Lullaby roared at the sky, a magic circle appearing above its head. Natsu cried out and fell to the ground.

"Natsu!" Gray said.

"I'm fine," he muttered. "Sensitive hearing. You guys ready?"

"Oh yeah," they both said. Erza had drawn out two swords. _A dragon and a knight fighting together,_ Natsu thought with amusement. _Never saw that coming._ Natsu watched in surprise at his teammates. They were pretty strong. A perfect match against Lullaby.

"Hey, Lullaby," Natsu said. "Boo." A sword made of red fire - not the Death Blade, but similar - appeared in his hand. He stabbed it into Lullaby's side and used his body weight to carve a large burning gash down its side.

" _ **You are making me angry!**_ "

"Yeah, the feeling's likewise," Natsu shouted. " **Forbidden Fire: Blade!** " Multiple blades made of fire shot toward the demon. The magic circle grew larger, then vanished.

"It's ready to play the Lullaby!" Happy shrieked. "We're all gonna die!" The plants withered away as Lullaby prepared the spell. To Lucy's shock, Natsu didn't seem worried.

"Aren't you scared?" she asked.

"Nah. You guys shouldn't be either."

"Huh?"

"Shh. I want to see the look on Lullaby's face when it realizes it."

" _ **Just one note and your souls will be mine!**_ " But all that came out was a wheezing sound. Natsu began to laugh. " _ **I don't understand! Where had my great musical sound gone?!**_ "

"We punched too many holes in you!" he laughed. "Man, this is great! You should see the look on your face! Ha ha!"

"All that build-up just for this?" Lucy asked. She was trying not to laugh because Natsu was the right, the look on Lullaby's face was priceless. "Talk about going out with a whimper."

"Yeah," Happy agreed. "Flutes are pretty lame to begin with."

" _ **You dare mock me?!**_ " it roared.

"Great," Natsu said. "Now you've made it angry." It kicked over a mountain. "Hey, Gray, didn't you say that Erza could do that?" Lullaby set fire to a large part of the forest. Gray created a shield to protect them. Natsu ate the fire, saying, "Now I've got a fire in my belly!"

" _ **How did you do that? How did you become so powerful? You aren't human; you're a monster!**_ "

"Oh, like you can talk. Let's just say that it's been awhile since we last fought."

" _ **Quit climbing up me!**_ "

"Make me!"

" **Requip: Black Wing!** "

" **Ice Make: Saucer!** "

"Natsu, now!" Erza shouted.

" **The flames of my right hand, and the flames of my left… Put them together, and… this is what you get! Fire Dragon Brilliant Flame!** " It was the finishing blow. Lullaby was a flute once again. Natsu picked it up and put it in the folds of his clothing. "I'll give it to the magic council, don't worry," he told Makarov when the old man gave him a look.

"You kids make defeating a demon easy," Goldmine said. _Yeah, yeah, whatever._ Then they noticed that the conference hall had been destroyed, along with a mountain or two. They fled from the angry guildmasters. Natsu felt the Lullaby crack within his clothes. He allowed himself a smile. Lullaby was gone forever.

* * *

 **Ooh, so scary! Now, the question is, will Erza remember that Natsu knew more about the Lullaby than he let on and punish him? Who knows? But next is the Galuna Island arc... Be prepared! Crap is going to go down!**


	14. Galuna Island Arc: S-Rank

**My birthday is just a couple days away...**

* * *

Natsu had burned the Lullaby, and sealed its ashes before sending it back to the magic council. He sighed on his bed. Oh, man, he was tired. He had taken a long nap before hunger woke him. Mira served him something at the guild.

He stiffened up in the rafters. Someone was coming. Judging by the people falling asleep, it was Mystogan. Of course, he was unaffected by the sleep magic. Natsu watched the cloaked man walk to the request board. He looked at it for a moment, then ripped one off.

"Long time no see, Mystogan," he called from the rafters. Mystogan glanced up at him and nodded in response. The man showed the chosen request to the master.

"I shall return," he said quietly.

"Wait…" Makarov said. "Lift the spell before you leave."

"Five." He began to make his way out of the guild. "Four." He passed several of his sleeping guild mates. "Three." He passed Erza, the only one beside the master and Natsu who resisted the sleeping spell. Even so, she was still mostly asleep. "Two." He exited the doors. "One." He vanished into the light. Everyone woke up.

"Aw, man," Jet muttered. "Was Mystogan here?"

"What a jerk," Droy agreed.

"Does he have to put us to sleep every time he comes here?" Levy complained.

"Who's this Mystogan guy?" Lucy yawned.

"He's in the running for the strongest man in Fairy Tail," Elfman explained.

"Really?"

"Yeah," Gray said, rubbing his head. "For whatever reason, he doesn't want anyone to see him. Kind of like Natsu. So he puts everyone to sleep like this whenever he takes a job."

"That's kind of creepy," Lucy sweat-dropped.

"Natsu claims it doesn't work on him," Elfman added.

"It doesn't," the mage in question shouted from the rafters.

"Natsu and Mystogan have some sort of agreement on staying away from each other," Gray continued. "So Master Makarov is the only person here who's gotten a good look at him."

"That's not true," a voice said from the second floor. Everyone looked up at the smirking face that Laxus wore.

"Laxus!" Elfman said in surprise.

"Talk about rare," Macao said.

"You're never here," Wakaba added.

"And here's another contender," Gray muttered to Lucy.

"Mystogan's just a little shy," Laxus laughed. "And Natsu is just too stupid to know that it's good manners to be friendly."

"Care to say that to my face?" Natsu growled from behind him.  
"Yeah. I heard that you took some weaklings on a job. Shame, you used to be so powerful. And now… consorting with pathetic weaklings." Natsu lit his hand on fire.

"My business is my own," Natsu said. "Stay out of it."

"Please don't fight in here," Makarov whimpered, thinking of the horrible bills he would get. They could destroy all of Magnolia if they fought.

"Too scared to fight me?" Laxus taunted. "You're weaker than Erza, and that's saying something!"

"What are you trying to say?" Erza demanded angrily.

"No need to get all worked up, Erza," Gray panicked.

"I'm saying that I'm the strongest wizard!" Laxus grinned, raising his arms up.

"It's funny," Natsu said without a trace of humor in his voice, "I heard once that those who have to say that they're the strongest… usually are one of the weakest." Laxus glared at the fire wizard.

"Do you want a fight, you masked freak?"

"Not really. But I will fight you and crush you if you continue to provoke me… I can't guarantee that you'll be alive once I'm done." Laxus smirked.

"You really think that you can take me down, you freak show?" A fist lashed out. Laxus barely blocked it.

"Shut up."

"That's enough out of you, Laxus," Makarov barked.

"The most powerful one in the guild isn't some chick or one of the hooded freaks," Laxus laughed cruelly. "You want to know what the strongest wizard looks like? You're looking right at him!"

"Pride goeth before a fall," Natsu muttered loudly enough for the entire guild to hear as he went back into the maze of rafters.

"Hey, Mirajane?" Lucy asked later that evening. "I noticed something… no one ever goes up to the second floor except the really powerful wizards. Why is that?"

"That area is reserved for advanced members of the guild. The jobs that are listed up there make the ones listed down here look like child's play. They're called S-class quests."

"S-class?"

"They're dangerous jobs in which even a momentary lapse in judgment can prove fatal." Mira giggled. "This is a bit morbid, but there's actually a bet going around as to when Natsu's going to get killed on one. The reward are that much higher, though! Only wizards given our master's approval can accept S-class requests. There are only six wizards in the entire guild who are considered S-class. That includes Laxus, Mystogan, Erza, and Natsu." Lucy almost fainted when she realized that she had gone on a job with _two_ S-class wizards. "I wouldn't worry about it, if I were you. In my opinion, there's no amount of money that's worth risking your life over."

"Yeah, no kidding," Lucy laughed. On the way home, she thought, _Wow, Mystogan and Laxus! I've heard of them before! That is so cool! I can't believe how many powerful wizards are in Fairy Tail! I've got most of its power rankings figured out, too! I'm gonna work my hardest, starting tomorrow!_

* * *

Natsu yawned as he left the guild. Mira was busy explaining S-class to Lucy, so they didn't notice him go. _Maybe I should take an S-class job… something easy… Wasn't there a quest that didn't involve fighting? It was on some island called Galuna, I think. Yeah, I'll do that._ He was already on his way home, though. Happy had joined him for his walk.

"Hey, Happy," Natsu said.

"Aye?"

"I don't suppose you could do a favor for me…"

* * *

When Lucy opened the door, she screamed in horror. Sitting on her couch was Natsu, with Happy perched on his helmet. Happy held his paw to his face, indicating her to be quiet on his position. It was kind of funny; Natsu looked very out of place in her house.

"Took you long enough to get back here," Natsu muttered.

"What are you doing here?" she shouted. He ignored her and stood, moving to sitting at her table.

"Sit," he said, indicating the other chair. "Where's Happy? He has something that I need." Happy snickered. "Wait, I think I heard him." Natsu searched around, oblivious to the fact that the cat was on his helmet. Lucy was trying to suppress her own laughter. "You know where he is, don't you?" She burst out laughing.

"Look," she gasped finally. "Look in the mirror." Natsu entered her bathroom. She began laughing again when she heard Natsu's grunt of annoyance, and arrived holding Happy by the tail.

"I've made a decision," Natsu said when he had settled back at the table. "Happy, if you will." Happy pulled a paper out of his bag. At first glance, it was a normal job request. But the large 'S' in red ink said otherwise.

"An S-class job!" Lucy cried. "W-What do you mean? I mean, I-I'm not ready for this!"

"Sure you are," Natsu shrugged. "Besides, you'll be coming with me… What's the worst that could happen?"

"Famous last words," Lucy said. "Why do you want me? I am, after all, a 'pathetic weakling', as Laxus says."

"Who's Laxus?"

"The guy you almost got in a fight with today."

"... I got in a fight?" Lucy's forehead connected with the table. "Whatever. Anyway, Happy got the job for me."

"Wait… won't we get in trouble? Did you register it with the master?" Natsu cocked his head.

"Well, I obviously didn't… Happy, did you?"

"Cats have really bad memories," Happy started. Lucy groaned.

"People are going to think that someone stole it," Lucy said. "I'm not going, anyway."

"Why not?" Natsu asked. He honestly sounded puzzled as to why she didn't want to come.

"Because I'll probably get killed," Lucy said. "I don't know about you, Mr. Takes-Two-S-Class-Jobs-A-Month, but I value my life."

"Whatever," Natsu sighed, leaving through the window.

"It's a tropical island!" Happy said. Natsu poked his head back through, curious to see if she would change her mind.

"Island?" He climbed back in. Maybe she would come after all.

"The cursed island of Galuna!" Happy yelled. Natsu sighed. Never mind. He left again.

"Come on, Happy."

"No way! Definitely not going now!"

"Not even for half of the fish?"

"What kind of incentive is that?"

"Come _on_ , Happy."

"Aye, sir!"

"Good luck and good-bye!" she shouted at them sarcastically, though she wasn't sure if Natsu got sarcasm.

"I was so sure that she would come with us," Happy said as he flew next to Natsu.

"Wait for it," Natsu replied. Her shriek reached them easily. "She'll come, I think."

* * *

"They left the paper?" Lucy panicked. "Now everybody's going to think that I stole it! Now what?" She took a second look at the reward. "Is this for real? On top of the reward, they'll give me a Zodiac Gate key?"

* * *

"Wait for it," Natsu said. "Three."

* * *

"Should I go?" Lucy panicked. "If I go, I'll get in trouble too!"

* * *

"Two."

* * *

"But I'll get a Gate key if I go." She made up her mind.

* * *

"One."

* * *

"Hey, wait for me!" Lucy yelled at them.

"Told you," Natsu laughed.

* * *

"Master!" Mira cried the next morning. "I don't know what's happened! A job flyer is missing from the second floor!" Makarov took it calmly as he drank his morning coffee until the full implications of what she said reached his brain. He spat out his drink in shock.

"Say what?" Wakaba said. "One of the jobs from the second floor is missing?"

"The jobs up there are S-class jobs," Macao mused. "Anyone know who took off with it?"

"It was either someone really strong or really stupid," Laki added.

"I know," Laxus said, his legs kicked up on the table. "A little blue cat flew up here and ripped it off the board."

"Happy?" Mira gasped. The guild murmured in shock. Why would Happy take an S-class quest? It's not like he was on a team with anyone.

"Whoever Happy took it for," Alzack said, "has some nerve taking on an S-class quest."

"I don't know if I'd call it nerve," Bisca said. "But it is dumb."

"Wait…" Gray said. "Where's Lucy?" The guild gasped as they realized what he was implying.

"That's a serious breach of the rules," Laxus smirked. "Hey, Gramps, stunt like that'll get you kicked out of the guild for sure, am I right? Not that it matters. It's not like those losers are going to make it back from an S-class quest."

"Laxus!" Mira scolded. "Why didn't you try to stop them if you knew?!"

"Oh, lighten up," he smirked. "All I saw was a blue cat flying off with a piece of paper in its mouth trying to act all sneaky. I had no idea it was Happy. Besides, Blondie's not cleared for S-class. I never dreamed that she'd break the rules." Mira gave Laxus her patented demon glare. "You haven't given me that look in a while."

"This isn't good," Makarov said. "What job flyer was taken?"

Mira kept a vicious glare on Laxus while she replied, "For lifting the curse on Galuna Island."

"What?!" The rest of the guild reacted similarly. "Laxus! Go and fetch them at once!

"Yeah, right," Laxus laughed. "I have my own work to attend to. And besides, everybody in Fairy Tail are supposed to be able to take care of themselves. Right?"

"I don't care how you feel about this! You are one of the few people strong and fast enough to deal with this!" Gray pushed his chair back.

"Sorry, Master," Gray said. "But I'm afraid that I can't let that comment go."

* * *

 **I had really been having trouble figuring out how I was going to work out Galuna Island... But, as you can see, I figured it out. Natsu was just an baka, as usual. Review, please!**


	15. Galuna Island Arc: Moon Curse

**YEAH! Today's my birthday! My Natsu Dragneel cosplay outfit should arrive today! Super long chapter today in honor of the author's birthday!**

* * *

"Wow, this brings back memories!" Lucy sighed as she, Natsu and Happy walked through the streets of Hargeon. "It seems like only yesterday when we met here for the first time!"

"It practically was yesterday, Lucy," Happy said. "You don't have to get all mushy. It makes you sound like an old lady."

"This is where we met the blonde?" Three guesses as to who that is. Lucy glared at them both before continuing to walk.

"Anyway, let's find a boat that'll take us to Galuna Island!" she said cheerfully.

"Are you crazy?!" Natsu said, scrambling to catch up. "Forget the boat. We're swimming there!"

"I'd say that's crazier…" Unfortunately, no one was willing to take them. They met refusal after refusal, which was not helped by Natsu's slightly terrifying appearance.

"Not even pirates will go near that place," one sailor said of Galuna.

"Are you serious?" Lucy said.

"It looks like we're swimming!" Natsu said cheerfully.

"Sure does!" Happy agreed.

"We're not swimming!"

"I found you!" Gray said in a sing song voice. Lucy and Happy panicked. Natsu barely even looked at him.

"Gray!"

"What are you doing here?" Natsu asked.

"Gramps found out about your hair-brained scheme, and sent me to bring you back," he explained.

"What scheme? We're just going on a job." Lucy sweat-dropped.

"Don't tell me that you still forgot to register the job after I reminded you?"

"Is that seriously it?" Gray said. Lucy nodded. "Wow, you really are an idiot. I mean, seriously, taking a quest to break a curse and forgetting to register it? Haha! Oof!" Natsu slugged Gray in the gut and threw him over his shoulder.

"This guy is really bugging me. What's his name again, Laura?"

"His name is Gray, and _my_ name is Lucy!"

"Wait," the sailor said. "You're going to break the curse?"

"Uh, yeah," Lucy said nervously. He watched them for a moment, then said, "Get in."

"Are we seriously going to bring him?" Lucy whispered.

"Why not?" Natsu said. "Besides, if he goes back, he'll bring the tin can, and I am not in the mood to fight her."

As Natsu hung over the edge, motion sick, that evening, Lucy said, "I know it's too late to say this, but I'm scared now."

"You tie me up and then say that?!" Gray snapped. He was not happy. "And you, buddy. Why did you decide to let us on?"

"My name is Bobo," the man said. "I used to live on Galuna Island. I fled from that cursed island. Disaster will befall you all, too." _Well, ain't that cheerful?_ Natsu thought through the fog that the motion sickness caused. "Such is the fate of those who visit that island. Can you really lift this curse?" Bob threw his cloak aside and showed them his monstrous left arm. Though they couldn't see it, Natsu frowned deeply. "This demon's curse…"

"Whoa, your arm!" Gray exclaimed. "What happened to it?"

"Is that the curse?" Lucy whispered. Bobo looked away from them.

"We're almost there. That's Galuna Island." He pointed to a dark blob in the distance. A light was on top.

"What is that?" Lucy wondered. "The mountaintop is glowing…" _Seriously?_ When Lucy turned again, Bobo was gone. "Huh? Where'd he go?"

"Did he fall overboard?" Gray wondered. _This job just keeps getting weirder. Good thing I'm wearing my armor._

"It's like he disappeared into thin air!" Happy said. Natsu noticed, to his dismay, that there was a giant wave approaching.

"Uh… crap… oh, guys! You… ugh… may want to take a look." As the wave broke, they were all washed into the water.

* * *

Lucy's eyes opened slowly. It was daytime. _What happened?_

"You're awake." Natsu was sitting nearby, watching the ocean. "You guys had gotten knocked out, so I pulled you out of the water."

"Uh… thanks…" Natsu pulled her to her feet.

"Oh, and the boat's destroyed." Well, that's just great.

"What was with that guy?" Lucy wondered later. "He said something about a demon's curse…"

"It's a cruel thing," Natsu said quietly. "Can you imagine living like that? Normal for a good portion of your life, and then turning into a monster… Feared by all who see you, shunned, and hated. Could you live like that?" His words tore through her heart… like he had thought them over and over until he could scream with frustration.

"So," Lucy said as they walked, "there's only one village on the entire island, and the village chief is the one who posted the job. So I guess we need to head there."

"Not so fast," Gray said.

"What do you want, Ice Prick?" Natsu asked.

"For one, it's your fault that I'm here. The boat's busted, so I can't go back and explain to the master. So now, I'm coming with you."

"Oh, come on," Natsu complained. "The only reason I brought Louise was because of the Gatekey."

"What about Happy?"

"He keeps following me. Why are you coming with us?"

"Gramps'll be mad until we explain it to him," Gray said. "And who knows? Maybe I'll get S-class too."

They found the village at nightfall. The high walls were only marked with a 'keep out' sign. _Ooh, so scary_ , Natsu thought.

"Well," Gray said, scratching his head. "It's nice that we made it here, but what is this?"

"It's a wall," Happy said helpfully.

"Anyone home?" Lucy shouted. "We came here to help you!" Silence.

"Maybe I should break it down," Natsu said, starting to advance.

"No!"

"Who goes there?" someone shouted from the top of the wall.

"We're wizards from Fairy Tail responding to your request!" she said cheerfully.

"Nobody notified us about the job being accepted!"

"Uh…" She was stuck.

"There was probably just some mix-up with the paperwork!" Gray shouted. Lucy threw him a grateful look.

"Show us you emblems!" Lucy lifted her hand up, Happy bared his back, and Gray - Well, Gray lost his shirt a while ago. The gate lifted while Gray retrieved his shirt.

"It's like we're walking into a giant monster's mouth," Happy said.

"Are you trying to freak me out?" The hooded villagers stood in front of them.

"I am Moka, the chief of this island village," the man in front said. "Let's get right down to business. Please have a look. Everyone." If Lucy hadn't been so startled herself, she would have heard Natsu's sharp intake of breath, and his hissing growl. The villagers' deformed body parts shocked her to no end.

"It's just like what happened with that guy on the boat," Gray said.

"Yeah," Lucy whispered.

"Everything on this island is affected by this curse. Even dogs and birds."

"I don't mean to question you," Gray said, "but what makes you believe it's a curse? Couldn't it be a contagious disease?"

"We've consulted dozens of doctors, but they say no such disease exists." _Then what could it be?_ "Plus, the moon's magic has something to do with us taking these forms." _Interesting._

"What do you mean?" Natsu asked. "The moon's magic?"

"This island has absorbed moonlight since ancient times," Moka explained. "It made the entire island shine beautifully like the moon." _Wasn't this island populated by demons a couple hundred years ago?_ "However, some years ago, the moon's light suddenly turned purple."

"A purple moon?" Natsu said doubtfully.

"It's coming out from behind the clouds!" Happy gasped. _It really is purple… Strange… and troubling. Why is it only purple here?_

"Man, that's creepy looking," Gray muttered.

"It's the curse," Moka grunted. Something seemed to be wrong with him. "This is the moon's magic." The entire village reacted as if they were in horrible pain. _What the -? What's going on?! This doesn't make sense! How is this happening?_ More thought flew through his mind as the villagers became demons. "I apologize for the shock," Moka said. Natsu's eyes were wide and he was barely listening. What pain these people must live in, to see themselves like this…

"It's ok," Gray said, staring at them. "I'm just completely confused."

"You poor people," Lucy whispered.

"As you can see, we take on the forms of demons whenever the purple moon is out," Moka said. "If this isn't a curse, what else is it?!"

"It's a curse," Natsu affirmed quietly. "I swear to you, I shall do everything in my power to break it. No matter what."

"Thank you," Moka replied. "Come morning, we'll all be back to normal. However, there are some who lose their minds and never change back."

"Oh, no," Lucy gasped softly.

"We've since made it a rule," Moka sighed. "We've no choice but to kill those who transform into mindless monsters." Very few, if any, noticed the air around Natsu heating up with his rage.

"But they might change back to normal someday!" Happy protested.

"We have to," the chief said, "or they'll kill us all. We've tried capturing them, but they just break free. As a result… I had to kill my own son." He began to cry as he looked at a picture. _Isn't that the guy from the boat? Oh, man, this is complicated._ "My son, whose mind became that of a demon…" Gray and Lucy gasped as they saw the picture as well.

"That's the guy from the boat!" Lucy whispered. _Oh, so it was him. Interesting._ "But, yesterday, we -" Gray shushed her. The busty blonde looked at the ice wizard.

"Now I understand why he disappeared on us," Gray muttered. "He's dead, but his soul can't rest in peace." Lucy's eyes widened in horror. _A ghost?_ she thought fearfully to herself.

"Stranger things have happened," Natsu said quietly.

"Please lift the evil curse!" Moka pleaded. "It's only a matter of time until we all lose our minds and become demons!"

"We won't let that happen!" Natsu snapped with unusual passion. "We can fix this, I promise." Moka stared up at the armored man in surprise, then bowed his head.

"There's only one way this wretched curse can be lifted. The moon… The moon must be wiped from the sky!" Natsu raised an eyebrow under his helmet. Maybe this curse messed with people's heads too.

* * *

"I never knew the moon could be so creepy," Happy said, staring at it through the open window. Natsu had gone to talk to the village chief.

"Hurry and shut the window!" Lucy exclaimed. "You heard the village chief. We'll wind up like demons if we're exposed to the moonlight for too long."

"I'm not so sure about this job, guys," Gray said. "I mean, do these people really think that we can destroy the moon?"

"How many punches do you think it'll take Natsu to destroy it?" Happy wondered.

"Are you kidding me?! Don't be stupid."

"Happy, I don't think there's any wizard who could do it."

"What about Erza?" Gray and Lucy shuddered. If anyone could do it, Erza could. "And besides, he hired us to destroy the moon."

"True," Gray said. "We can't take a job and back out on it. It would make Fairy Tail look bad! But… what they're asking can't be done… What do we do?"

"We blow up the moon, obviously," Natsu said, walking in. Gray and Lucy just sweatdropped.

"Oh yeah?" Gray challenged. "How would we even get to the moon?" Natsu appeared to think.

"With Happy." Happy gasped.

"I don't think so," he sighed at his stupidity.

"Ok," Lucy thought. "We can't destroy the moon, but I bet we can find another way to break the curse if we do some investigating." Natsu nodded.

"I'm mildly proficient at runes," he said. "I may be able to do something about it if that's the case." Gray's pants landed on the horns on Natsu's helmet. He made an annoyed sound.

"Walking all day after getting shipwrecked," he sighed. "Man, I'm beat."

"Please don't take off any more clothes," Lucy whimpered. Gray was only wearing his boxers. Natsu sat on a chair.

"We'll explore the island tomorrow," Natsu said quietly. "See what we can find. There's something about this places that's been bugging me."

"Are you sure it's not the purple moon?" Gray asked incredulously. "And who put you in charge?"

"The master, when he made me S-class," Natsu said seriously. Gray shut up. "Go to sleep. I'll be up for a while." Lucy watched Natsu's dark form until she fell asleep. She woke up hearing Gray grunt when Natsu kicked him for snoring.

"Butthole," he muttered before rolling over.

* * *

Natsu watched the sleeping forms of his teammates. He had talked to the chief and shown him his face to prove his determination. Moka had been surprised, but had accepted Natsu's story. While most of it wasn't true, he still felt odd… for showing someone his face and not killing them. It really irritated him.

 _Fuyu_. He missed her. _What would you think of me now? Would you be ashamed of me? Afraid? No… you never were afraid of me._ Natsu closed his eyes and rested his head against the wall. He saw a flash of flames before he jerked, his eyes opening. Natsu exhaled sharply. _I must have fallen asleep._

What was it about this island that unsettled him so? Something familiar… Natsu reached out with his mind, searching for the disturbance. _What is it?_ He inhaled deeply. _It feels old… very old… what could it -_ Natsu bolted to his feet in alarm.

 _Deliora!_

* * *

 **Ooh! Scary! And who the heck is Fuyu? If my memory serves, (I think I used that right) this person's been mentioned before... Hmm. Oh well. Review please! Seriously, review. As a birthday favor for me?**


	16. Galuna Island Arc: Temple Demon

**I know, I know, I haven't updated in almost a month. Just enjoying the rest of summer. Screw school. I changed a few things, and it's kind of obvious what I did, but... Well... Just read and review.**

* * *

"It's so early!" Lucy yawned.

"Yeah," Gray grunted while stretching. "Crazy early. I'm never up at this time."

"Quit complaining," Natsu told them. "I stayed up all night."

"That's because you're a freak," Gray snapped.

"Stop whining and let's go," Natsu muttered, walking briskly along the path. The other reluctantly followed him. Every now and then Natsu would sniff, once going down on all fours and sniffing for almost a minute.

"What are you doing?" Lucy sweatdropped from inside Horologium.

"Tracking" was the short reply. "Will you guys shut up?" he snapped at Gray and Happy, who were discussing the potential consequences of destroying the moon. "What the heck are you even doing in that clock thing, uh… whatever your name is."

"'It's Lucy!' the lady exclaims."

"Do you just summon your spirits because you're lazy?" Gray asked.

"'Listen,' she says shakily. 'This curse is freaking me out. We have no idea what we're up against, I'm scared.'"

"Are you kidding?" Happy said. "S-class rocks! It's almost as good as fish!"

"Yeah, I bet I could probably freeze that stupid curse," Gray remarked, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"'You guys are idiots,' she retorts disparagingly."

"Aye," Happy agreed. Natsu sighed and slumped his shoulders as he smacked his head into a tree repeatedly.

"This is why I go alone," he muttered. "Wait… What is that awful smell?" The ground shook with… footsteps? They all turned to see a giant rat that was bigger than the trees. And wearing clothes. It chuckled.

"W-Whoa," Natsu managed.

"It's huge!" Gray yelped.

"'What are you waiting for? Beat it up!" she yells frantically." The rat inhaled.

" **Ice Make: Shield!** " It threw some kind of a gas breath at them. When it cleared, Natsu was on the ground, out cold.

Horologium vanished back into the spirit world, giving Lucy and Happy - how did he even get in there? - a good whiff of the horrible smell.

"Stinky!" The rat cackled some more.

"Come on, Natsu!" Gray shouted. "Get up, man!"

"The smell must have knocked him out!" Happy realized. Natsu staggered to his feet and fled. All he could think was _get away get away get away._ Sure, he could probably take it down, but the smell had robbed him of his senses. Two more breath attacks occurred before Gray turned around and froze the ground beneath the rat. It slipped and was out cold.

"You should have done that it the first place," Natsu groaned, sneezing horribly.

"Shut up, Natsu!" Lucy sighed and looked to her right, seeing some kind of temple.

"Look! There's some sort of building! Let's get inside while we can!"

"Yeah!" Gray shouted. "Let's beat it up while we can!" Natsu sighed and grabbed Gray's hair, dragging him into the temple. "Ow ow ow ow ow ow."

"This place is massive," Lucy gasped.

"It's falling apart to boot," Natsu agreed.

"I wonder how old it is," Gray murmured.

"What are those?" Happy asked, pointing at runes on the walls.

"Moons," Natsu said softly. "This is strange. Moon runes, in a moon temple, and we're dealing with a moon curse… and Galuna used to be called 'Island of the Moon'..." _What is going on?_

"You really got to wonder what all of it means," Lucy said.

"It is fishy," Natsu said.

"Fish?"

"No, Happy."

"Aww…" Natsu inspected the floor.

"Man, is this place even safe to walk in?" He gave it an experimental stomp… a little too hard; the floor collapsed and they all fell. Natsu nearly impaled Gray on the horns of his helmet. "Ow. Are you guys alive?"

"Yes! Natsu, you idiot! Were you trying to kill us?"

"Darn, you're still alive…"

"Here's a thought!" Gray snapped. "If you thought before you acted, maybe you wouldn't cause so much destruction!"

"Oh, like you can talk."

"So," Lucy said softly. "Can you fly us out of here, Happy?"

"Nope…" Natsu sniffed. The scent was stronger now. So maybe destroying the floor wasn't such a bad thing.

"Are we underneath the ruins?" Gray asked.

"Yeah, come on," Natsu said. "The thing I was tracking is closer than it was before." Natsu ran down the tunnel. The scent was getting stronger, though it was almost hidden by some kind of ice that vaguely smelled like a person. "There you are…"

"Natsu?" Lucy asked. She pulled away a little as Natsu began to laugh maniacally.

"Gray," he finally managed to get out. "You and Blondie may want to take a look at this." Gray stared in horror at the demon sealed in ice.

"That's impossible," he muttered.

"I agree," Natsu said, sighing from his laughter. "How could a hunk of ice this big get underneath a tropical island?"

"It's Deliora!" Gray said. "But how…? How could this happen? Why is it here?" Natsu looked at Gray in surprise. _He's met Deliora before? Interesting…_ Gray was practically hysterical. "What the heck is it doing here?!"

"Calm down," Natsu said. "I take it you've met Deliora before?"

"There's no… no way…"

"Gray, please," Lucy said. "Try to calm down." She shot Natsu an irritated look for being so insensitive. Gray slowly collected himself and looked at the demon again. "Now… Can you tell us about it?"

"Deliora…" Gray muttered. "The demon of destruction. But why is it… here?! It doesn't make any sense!" Footsteps came down the tunnel.

"The voices seemed to come from here," a blue haired man with monstrous eyebrows said. His companion, who looked strangely like a dog, growled in response. "Ugh… I hate being awake during the day." His dog companion growled again. "So, Toby," he said. "Were you exposed to the Moon Drip? You've got those pointy ears." Toby exploded angrily.

"No! These are decorations! Get it through your head!"

"I was only teasing you, idiot."

"You're so mean," Toby grumbled.

"The Moon Drip," Lucy murmured to herself. "Could that be the name of the curse?" Natsu shushed her. A woman with pink hair walked in.

"Yuka, Toby. I have sad news."

"What now, Sherry?" Yuka sighed, annoyed. Toby whined in greeting.

"It's Angelica," Sherry said tearfully. "She's been attacked and I'm sad."

"You're moping around because someone beat up your stupid pet rat?!" Toby barked. Natsu and Gray fistbumped.

"She's not a rat!" Sherry protested. "Angelica is a brave hunter that races through the darkness. She is… love!" The group looked at each other. This girl was weird…

"I don't know who these people are," Lucy whispered. "But talk about a bunch of weirdos. Especially the chick with the pet rat."

"Judging by their scent," Natsu muttered, "they aren't from the island." Lucy was startled until she remembered that Nasu was a Dragon Slayer, and he had greatly heightened senses.

"And they don't look like they have the demon curse," Happy added.

"Intruders, you say?" Yuka said.

"And it's almost time to begin collecting moonlight again," Sherry sighed. "How sad. This news would displease the Cold Emperor. We should get rid of them before he finds out." _The Cold Emperor?_ Natsu thought. _He must be in charge._ "Yes… before the moon shows itself…"

"Agreed," Yuka grinned.

"Since they've seen Deliora," Sherry continued, "we can't allow them to live. We will give the intruders eternal sleep… In other words, love."

"You're talking about death, right?" Toby sweatdropped. They heard a clatter behind them, leading into the tunnel.

"What was that?" Sherry asked.

"Over there!" Yuka ordered. They all ran into the tunnel. A second later they were gone.

"Nice job, cat!" Lucy told Happy as the cat flew back over to them.

"Aye!"

"We should have caught them and beat some answers out of them," Gray said.

"No," Natsu said. "Not yet. Let's check things out a little more first."

"I would have thought that you would want to beat them up, Natsu," Happy remarked. The armored mage shook his head.

"While I do enjoy a good fight, this could be a lot more dangerous than we think. The master will be angry at me if you guys get killed by rushing in."

"Sheesh," Lucy sighed, shaking her head. "This is starting to get complicated."

"Right," Happy said. "Like, who is this Cold Emperor guy?"

"We'll find that out."

"Why did they bring Deliora here?!" Gray said angrily. "I still don't understand what anyone would want with it."

"You'd be surprised at how many uses a demon's body has," Natsu muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing." Gray shook his head.

"And how the heck did they find where he was sealed, anyway?!"

"Where was he sealed originally?" Natsu asked.

"In an iceberg in a northern continent," Gray replied. "It's an immortal demon that ravaged the Isvan region ten years ago." Natsu gasped and fell to his knees as a painful memory that he had tried to forget appeared.

 _"What were you idiots thinking? You've unleashed an immortal demon! Do you have any idea how many people will die?!"_

 _"Enough. Deliora is the demon of destruction. He will destroy Isvan."_

 _"You idiots! I'm going to have to kill you, then seal him away again!"_

"Natsu!" Lucy was shouting. "You collapsed. Are you ok?"

"Yeah," he grunted. "Bad memory."

"Have you met Delion before?" Gray demanded.

"No. I met a demon a long time ago, though. Go on."

"Master Ur, the woman who taught me magic, risked her life to seal it away! Dunno what it has to do with the island's curse, but it doesn't belong here!" Gray was getting hysterical again. _He must have had an ugly past with Deliora. Most people get freaked out when confronted with a demon, but I've seen him stand his ground against a death flute demon._ "This Cold Emperor… We have to find out who it is! If they tarnish my master's name, they'll have hell to pay!" His magic was swirling around his fist.

"Gray," Natsu said seriously. "Calm down or I'll knock you out."

"Are you sure that this is the demon your master sealed away?" Lucy asked.

"Yes… No question about it."

"I wonder why it was brought here from the northern continent," Happy said.

"Natsu, could this demon be the cause of the island's curse?" Lucy asked. He shook his head.

"I wouldn't be surprised if it did," Gray muttered.

"No. Deliora was too weak to cast something like this. He relied on his size to cause all of the destruction he did. Gray, do you know the nature of this spell? It feels like Deliora is still alive." Lucy and Happy gasped.

"Seriously?"

"Yes," Gray said. "It's still alive…"

"I wonder how…" Natsu wondered. "Maybe I should melt it a little and ask." A look of fury entered Gray's eyes as he punched Natsu. His knuckles were bleeding from hitting Natsu's metal helmet.

"Gray just punched Natsu!" Happy gasped. "That's like a death sentence!" Natsu stood.

"I don't want you and your flames anywhere near this ice!" Gray snarled.

"Ok, I won't melt it. You seem to know something I don't."

"If that ice melts and Deliora wakes up, no one will be able to stop him!"

"I might be able to," Natsu muttered. "But we'll leave him here for now. Besides, do you really think that a chunk of ice that big would be easy to melt? It would take several hours at top heat!" Gray seemed startled for a moment, then accepted it.

"You're right," he said.

"Hey," Lucy said softly, rubbing Gray's shoulder. "Are you ok?"

"Many years ago," Gray sighed, "my master, Ur, cast a spell called Iced Shell on this demon." Natsu inhaled sharply.

"Iced Shell?! Are you sure?!" Gray started.

"What do you know of it?"

"Enough to know why you don't want me melting this ice. Besides, I couldn't melt it even if I wanted to."

"Why not?" Happy asked.

"Iced Shell," Gray explained, "is a form of unmeltable ice. It's so strong not even the most powerful explosive flame spells can melt it."

"So that punch was for nothing," Natsu surmised. "Man, that really hurt, and I was wearing a helmet!" Gray ignored him and went on.

"If they knew the ice couldn't be melted, why would they bring it here?" Natsu's mind was turning. _Didn't the village chief say that this island has absorbed moonlight for hundreds of years? And those weirdos were talking about 'collecting moonlight', and a 'Moon Drip'... What does it mean? The term Moon Drip sounds really familiar…_

"Maybe they didn't know," Lucy offered. "Maybe they're trying to melt it somehow."

"But why would they do that?!" Gray snapped.

"I-I don't know…"

"I just don't get it. Who would bring Deliora here, and why?" _The Moon Drip… Wasn't that the spell that -_

"I know," Natsu said quietly. The others turn and looked at him. "You said that the ice couldn't be melted… but I think it can." His team stared in shock. "I'll need a little more time to confirm my theory, but I'm almost positive I know. We need more answers…"

"Aye!" Happy said. "Let's go find those guys!"

"No!" Natsu snapped. "We wait here."

"For what?" Happy asked.

"For the moon to come out. The moon is the answer to all of our problems here."

"The moon?" Lucy asked in surprise. "But it's the middle of the afternoon!" Lucy could feel Natsu's glare burning through her as his helmet turn toward her.

"Do you have a problem with my decision?"

"N-No!"

"I've got a very strong feeling that this island's curse and Deliora being here are connected to the moon. I think that the Moon Drip that those guys were talking about has to do with the curse. Remember what that Yuka guy said to the dog man? 'Were you exposed to the Moon Drip?'. Maybe the Moon Drip is what transformed the villagers. See if you guys can go to sleep. It's going to be a long wait."

* * *

Lucy rolled over. She was tired of just lying around. She sat up and looked at Natsu. He hadn't moved since he sat down in front of Deliora. He sounded like he was trying to hack up a hairball. The mental image of Natsu hairballing make her smile. Gray was tossing and turning in his sleep, obviously having a nightmare. Lucy shook him a little.

"Hey," she said softly. "Wake up. You're having a bad dream." He sat up and placed his head between his legs, taking a shaky breath. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah," he grunted. "Fine." He rolled over and went back to sleep.

* * *

Natsu, unbeknownst to his team, was searching through Deliora's memories. The demon was fighting him every step of the way, to his annoyance. He hissed as the demon of destruction stabbed at his mind. _Oh, no, you don't._ He winced a little at Deliora's roar of mental pain. _Just… push… a little… harder!_ It was no use. Being sealed in the ice for so long with nothing else to do had allowed the giant demon to train its mental defense until not even Natsu could get through. _Blazes._

He was vaguely aware of Lucy complaining of boredom. He felt her magic fluctuate as she summoned a spirit. Natsu returned a portion of his mind to his body to see which one. It wasn't one he had seen before. Some chick with a harp. He returned to the mental battle, throwing everything he had in it. A few seconds later, he disconnected with a sigh. Natsu hadn't practiced mental battling in a very long time.

The spirit's soft voice began to sing, reaching through the tight armor he kept around his mind. Painful memories flooded his mind. He had far too many of those. Fuyu sang to him much like this. Anger and grief filled him to bursting. Pain like he hadn't felt since… since before he could really remember nearly killed him. He clenched his teeth. Chills ran up his spine. Nobody had made him feel like this in what felt like several lifetimes.

"Natsu?" _Darn._ Lucy must have felt his inner turmoil somehow. Then he noticed how the air around him was shimmering with heat. "Are you ok?" His voice was steady.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"One of Lyra's talents is singing songs that relate to what her audience is feeling."

"Did her song make you sad?" Happy asked.

"Shut up," Natsu growled. "We shouldn't be making noise anyway. Put the harp away." Lyra pouted.

* * *

 **And now I'm really wondering who Fuyu is... I'm also wondering about Natsu's past... Well, review, tell me what you think, all that jazz.**


	17. Galuna Island Arc: The Cold Emperor

**I'm on fire this week! Two chapters in two days! Cha! So, don't expect many updates though. I'm going on vacation to Florida for twelve days in three days. It's going to be awesome!**

* * *

Later, as Natsu reflected on the job and wrestled with his memories that he would really rather forget, he could feel the cave shaking. A magic circle appeared above Deliora. _Looks like this party's getting started._ "Guys, wake up," he barked. An intense purple light came out of the circle and bathed the demon in the eerie glow. _Purple light… The moonlight was purple… I was right!_ "We need to go above ground! I was right!"

"Right about what?" Lucy shouted as she followed him.

"The spell! I knew that this 'Moon Drip' sounded familiar!" _I won't let Deliora get unleashed again. I couldn't stop them the first time, but I'm stronger now than I was then._ An annoying part of his mind reminded him that he had been eight when he last confronted the demon.

They rushed up the stone stairs. There was another magic circle! Right there, on the floor. There was also one on the ceiling.

"Next floor!" he ordered.

"Why would someone cast a magic circle in the middle of these ruins?" Gray asked.

"Not in the middle," Natsu panted. "On the top! It's a series of circles!" They ran out onto the top of the temple. _I love being right._ There was a circle of cloaked people chanting around the purple pillar of light. They hid behind a crumbled wall.

"What in the world?" Gray murmured. Natsu placed a gauntlet on his mouth. "The moon," he said past the gauntlet.

"These guys really are collecting the moon's light," Natsu said softly. "Wait for a little longer. This Cold Emperor may come."

"Why are they shining it on Deliora?" Lucy asked.

"It's a Belianese spell, called the Moon Drip" Lyra said. Natsu nearly jumped out of his skin. "I see. That's what they're trying to do."

"Ok, tease. Fill us in."

"They're using the Moon Drip spell to revive that underground demon."

"What?!" Gray hissed. "That's impossible! Iced Shell ice is unmeltable!"

"I hate to say it," Lyra said, "but the Moon Drip can melt it."

"If the state of the ice is any indication," Natsu said, "it won't take very long before the demon is free." Lucy could hear the grimace in his voice. "While the Iced Shell is strong, focused moon energy can break any spell at all."

"Oh, no," Happy whispered.

"Idiots!" Gray snarled. "They have no idea how horrific Deliora is!"

"I think the Moon Drip is the cause of the phenomenon the islanders believe is a curse," Lyra continued. Natsu nodded.

"I see. Concentrated moon energy can contaminate people's bodies too. That's how powerful this magic is. The moon is a deadly weapon."

"Someone's coming!" Lucy whispered frantically, gesturing for them to stop talking. He had an odd helmet, sort of like Natsu's, but the horns swept from the side instead of coming from the top. A long trail of purple feathers hung from the top. Natsu did not have anything like that on his helmet. He was followed by the three weirdos from before.

"What a waste," Yuka grumbled. "I'm sleepy because we woke up during the day." Toby fell asleep while walking. "We didn't even find the intruders."

"Were there even any?!" Toby shouted angrily. He woke up pretty quickly.

"I'm afraid I have some sad news, Cold Emperor," Sherry said. He turned to her. "It appeared that there were intruders during the day, but they got away. I am unfit to speak of love." Natsu's eyebrow arched under his helmet. Man, this chick was definitely not all there.

"Intruders," the Cold Emperor mused.

"So he's the Cold Emperor?!" Gray snarled softly.

"He sure looks high and mighty," Lucy said sarcastically. "Especially with that weird mask!"

"I think it looks kind of cool!" Happy said.

"Will I have to rip your tongues out to make you shut up?" Natsu growled dangerously.

"Has Deliora been revived yet?" he asked as if he didn't really care. Gray's face curled into a snarl.

"From the look of it," Sherry said, "it will be today or tomorrow."

"Which one, girl?!" Toby shouted. _The dog man shouts a lot._

"The time has almost come," the Cold Emperor said. "As for the intruders… I've come too far to be interfered with now." A look of shock covered Gray's face. Natsu shot him a warning look in case he got any funny ideas.

"They must have been villagers," Sherry offered. "They're the only other people on this island."

"Then destroy the village!" he ordered. His lackeys gave sounds of agreement. If looks could kill, then Gray's murderous gaze would have disintegrated them.

"The villagers didn't have anything to do with this!" Lucy whispered in protest.

"Yeah," Natsu muttered. "We've got to stop them!"

"I'm not fond of blood," the Cold Emperor said. "But…"

"That voice…" Gray said in horror. "No… It can't be…"

"Ok," Natsu said with dangerous cheerfulness. "Screw secrecy. Hey, morons! We're the ones who came to interfere!" The enemies turned and looked at them.

"Sheesh," Lucy said. "I guess there's no turning back now, huh?"

"Aye," Happy agreed, brandishing a fish.

"I want to help out too!" Lyra said. "What can I do? Sing?" Lucy sweatdropped.

"No, you can go back."

"Aww, you're no fun." Lyra vanished with a poof. Yuka's eyes narrowed when he saw their guild marks.

"Interesting. So the villagers asked the guilds for help."

"Don't worry about them," the Cold Emperor snapped. "Go and eradicate the village." Lucy gasped in horror.

"Why?" she asked.

"Anyone who stands in my way," he said softly, clenching his fist, "whether deliberately or not, is my enemy!" Natsu could understand that. That had been his attitude for a long time. Then people had started getting mad at him for all of the casualties that kept happening. Gray snapped at this comment. He raced toward the man.

"Why you…! Stop your stupid ceremony or whatever this instant!" His ice magic swirled around his hands. An path of ice spikes rushed towards the Cold Emperor. _You know what?_ Natsu thought absently. _I bet he uses ice magic._ His suspicions were confirmed when the helmeted dude pulled off one handed Ice Make magic. _Isn't that dangerous or something?_

"He's an Ice wizard too!" Happy exclaimed. Natsu leaned against the wall. He should probably be stopping the ceremony, but this was more amusing.

"Lyon!" Gray snarled.

"Lyon?" Lucy said softly.

"That's what he said, blondie," Natsu said.

"Do you even realize what you're doing?!" Gray growled.

"Oh Gray," 'Lyon' said. "It's been quite a while, hasn't it?"

"Why would you revive Deliora?!" he asked. Lyon ignored him and went on.

"To think that you were one of the wizards the villagers called here… Did you come here knowingly? Or was it sheer coincidence? Not that it makes any difference."

"An acquaintance of yours, Cold Emperor Lyon?" Yuka asked.

"Do as you were ordered!" he snapped. "I can handle this myself."

"Yes sir!" and they vanished. Natsu stopped leaning on the wall. It was probably about time he did something. He was, after all, the S-class wizard here.

"Ok," he said lazily. "Hey, Ice Butt, I'm gonna stop this Moon Drip, 'k?" He sauntered over and was hit by an unexpected blast of ice magic. He was suddenly encased in a ball of ice. "Aw, crap." He tried in vain to melt it as Gray ordered Happy to get Lucy away. Gray shot a stream of ice at Lyon, who blocked it with an ice shield.

"What about Natsu?" Lucy asked.

"Forget me, just get to the village and warn them!" Natsu shouted.

"You distracted me long enough for the girl and the cat to escape," Lyon noted. "Chivalrous, but ultimately pointless. There's no way those two can stop my minions."

"I wouldn't underestimate Fairy Tail if I were you," Natsu said. "As annoying as they are sometimes, there are plenty of powerful wizards in it."

"You have no room to talk about power," Lyon scoffed. "You're frozen."

"That really doesn't matter," Natsu said, lighting his hand on fire. "I can still take you on!" Gray then kicked Natsu down the hill. "Gray, you…!" Natsu fell down the hill shouting expletives. Gray and Lyon stared at each other.

"I see you're as reckless as ever," Lyon sighed. "Isn't he your friend?"

"Natsu is nobody's friend," he growled. "Besides, that spell can destroy the ice and everything inside it if you feel like it."

"Which is why you sent it out of the range of my magic? You're pretty clever, after all."

"Quit acting like you're my superior, Lyon!" Gray snarled. "You're not Ur's student anymore!"

"Neither are you, Gray," he said, seeming to be irritated for the first time. He removed his helmet. "Because Ur is no longer of this world."

"Ur sacrificed her life to seal that monster away! You're trying to destroy her legacy!"

"Don't delude yourself," Lyon said, his slanted eyes relaxed. "You killed Ur." A surge of guilt filled Gray's gut, as well as anger. "I'm amazed you've had the nerve to live, Gray."

* * *

Natsu struggled to pull his horns out of the ground. _Screw Gray. Screw this job._ He finally managed to roll out. _Screw humans. Screw their stupid impulses to fight stuff that will kill them._ Natsu's eyes narrowed. _Still… If this Lyon thinks he can take on a demon, then he's pretty powerful._ He lit his hand on fire and placed it against the ice. Nothing happened. _Why can't my fire melt this ice? Man, this is annoying. I can't walk properly, so I have to waddle. This is so humiliating. I'm going to kill Lyon._

* * *

The pirate captain looked nervously at his destroyed crew, then at the armored woman behind him, almost too afraid to take his attention off steering the ship. "Wh-Why do you want to go to that horrible island?!" he asked fearfully. "I-If you don't mind my asking…!"

"Just steer," she said.

"R-Right." His crew began to stir. "C'mon, lady! I mean, Ma'am! I beg you! Galuna Island is cursed! They say people turn into demons there!"

"I've no interest in that," Erza said.

"B-But why do you have to go there?!"

"I'm simply on my way to punish some rule-breakers. That's all." The crew all got hearts in their eyes.

"So cool!"

"You're wonderful!"

"Let's go!"

"We'll follow you anywhere you go!"

"Good," she said with a nod. "Then please hurry."

"Aye, Sir!" The captain joined the love struck crew. She didn't need to use fear to control them anymore. Erza watched the horizon, thinking, _I will punish Gray and Lucy severely for this._

* * *

"Enough with the games, Gray," Lyon said. "You killed Ur. It is presumptuous of you to speak her name!" A ball of ice knocked him back. Gray grunted in pain.

"Lyon," he said softly.

"What's wrong?" he mocked. "Feeling too guilty to fight back? In that case, please stay out of my way. I'm going to revive Deliora."

"I won't let you!" he snarled, resolve filling him. Lyon dropped his helmet, preparing for battle.

"It's like old times," Lyon said with a cruel smile. "But I've grown much stronger since then. **Ice Make: Eagle!** " A barrage of ice birds shot from his hand.

" **Ice Make: Shield!** " Gray shouted, but it was useless. The birds merely went around the shield and hit him.

"Static Ice Making, creating objects, was always your specialty," Lyon said cooly. "While dynamic Ice Making, creating animals, is my specialty! Have you forgotten my ice can move about?!" Gray narrowly avoided another barrage of eagles.

" **Ice Make: Hammer!** "

" **Ice Make: Ape!** " Shards of ice flew around. The air was cold. "How pathetic. "I see you still use both hands for your Maker magic."

"Yeah, 'cause that's what Ur taught us!" Gray retorted. "Single-handed Maker magic is incomplete and unbalanced!"

"I'm the exception to that rule," Lyon countered haughtily. "I surpassed Ur's level long ago."

"Don't act so cocky…!" Gray warned.

"I same the same to you. Tell me, have you ever once hit me with an attack?" Gray prepared another spell.

"I'm a lot stronger now than I was then! **Ice Make: Geyser!** " The cultists fled. Lyon merely fixed Gray with a cool, uncaring stare as the ice exploded.

"Nothing has changed," he said. Gray's eyes widened in surprise. "I was the elder student, and I was stronger than you. I learned to use single-handed Maker magic, but you never could. Nothing has changed. Our paths are different, but our time remains frozen and unchanged." An ice dragon appeared under Gray and knocked him into the air.

"That's why I'm going to melt the ice. To follow a path that was sealed off." Gray crashed painfully into the ground. "Ur was my goal. Surpassing her was my dream. But you took that dream from me. I thought I would never be able to surpass her. But then I realized there was a way." Gray slowly stood. "If I can defeat Deliora, the demon that not even Ur could vanquish… then I will have surpassed her." There was a manic look in his eyes. "My dream will finally come true!"

"Listen to me!" Gray roared. "That thing destroyed everything we cared about! And you want to bring it back just so you can prove how strong you are?! That's insane!" For a moment, he thought that Lyon would listen. "Please! You can't do this!" That was a mistake. Ice serpents attacked him again.

"'Please! You can't do this!'?" he mocked. "Really?" Gray hit the ground again. Pain shot through his body with every breath. "Funny you say that. We said those exact same words to you then. Surely you haven't forgotten! _Ur died because you challenged Deliora! You aren't fit to say Ur's name! Begone!_ " An ice fist slammed his body into the air again. "This is the end, Gray."

Gray lay on the ground after being beaten to a pulp by Lyon. Memories crawled through his head as he drifted in and out of consciousness. Lying like this similarly years ago.

"What's the matter?" Ur had said. "Giving up that easily? Get up, Gray… Get up, Gray…" And then Ur turned into a very annoyed Natsu, who was still frozen in ice. "Are you dead or something? Get up! Man, you look rough," he said as Gray stirred. "You got the snot beaten out of you, didn't you?"

"Natsu," he grunted painfully. "What are you doing here?"

"I couldn't remember which way the village was, and the scent is too old for me to use, so I came back up to see. I see it now; come on." He started to pull Gray up.

"Wait… I can walk…" He had a feeling that Natsu was smirking in disbelief under that stupid helmet, but didn't say anything. "Where's Lyon?"

"He must have ditched when he got tired of beating you up," Natsu said. Gray fell again, but Natsu had a firm hold on his shirt and lifted him up to his shoulders. "Now hold on. We have to hurry and get back to the village before they do." More memories flooded his head.

" _No way!" Ur shouted. "Deliora is way out of your league! It'll kill you! Don't go!"_ More guilt.

"Hey, Natsu," he said softly.

"Hmm?"

"Ever done something you really wish you hadn't?"

"More times than I'd like to count."

"How did you get over the guilt?" Natsu was silent for a long time.

"I know how," he finally said, "but never really got around to doing it. I guess you just keep moving forward. Keep running. Don't feel sorry for yourself because you got someone you care about killed." It seemed like he was talking more to himself than Gray. "They would want you to keep moving forward. Fairy Tail's like that. Just do what they do." In a much quieter voice, he said, "It's the only thing keeping me sane."

* * *

 **Ok... Natsu evidentally got someone close to him killed... Poor Natsu... Review please!**


	18. Galuna Island Arc: Idiots

**I'm back! Florida was awesome. Rewatching Fairy Tail in depth has cemented my hatred of Lucy. She's so shallow.**

* * *

"Listen up!" Lucy shouted to the villagers. "The guys responsible for your transformation are about to attack!"

"They're going to come down here to fight us?"

"Yes. But this is also our chance to catch them and find out how to turn you back to normal!" They all muttered with unease.

"Only thing is," Happy pointed out, "I'm pretty sure those three are wizards. They won't be easy to catch."

"You're right… We outnumber them, but we've got zero wizards. Well, good luck."

"Now I see! As a character, you don't fight!" An idea occurred to Lucy. She clapped her hands in delight.

"I just thought of a great plan!"

"Nothing good can come of this…" Happy moaned.

"What is all the ruckus out here?!" Moka demanded.

"Chief!" the villagers exclaimed.

"Please listen! The enemy will be raiding this village very soon!"

"Enemy?"  
"They've taken up residence in the ruins in the forest and are the ones responsible for transforming everyone!"

"I don't care about that! Why haven't you destroyed the moon yet?!" Lucy waved her hands nervously at his outburst.

"Th-There's no need to destroy the moon anymore! We just need to catch the guys responsible!"

"The moon! Destroy the moon!" _Senile, much?_

"Chief! Please calm down!"

"Come this way." Lucy sweatdropped as they pulled their elderly chief away.

"Please don't take it personally," one of the villagers said. "He did lose his son Bobo and all…"

"Yes… Anyway, we have to capture the enemy!"

"But how?"

"Just leave it to Lucy, the greatest celestial wizard in Fairy Tail! I know it'll all work out!" _I've always wanted to say that!_ ( **A/N You're the only celestial wizard in Fairy Tail. See what I mean?** )

"Somebody's starting to get cocky," Happy noted.

" **Open, Gate of the Maiden! Virgo!** " The villagers all fangirled over Virgo. "She's not that cute…"

"I have completed the preparations, Princess," Virgo said after a few minutes.

"Good work, Virgo! You're always fast at that!"

"Are you going to punish me now?"

"I'm praising you!"

"Hey, Lucy," Happy said,

"Yeah, what is it?"

"I seriously think you might be stupid." ( **A/N I agree.** )

"Wow, thanks a lot for the encouragement."

"I just don't think anyone's going to fall for such a childish trap."

"Don't be silly. A pitfall trap will get them every time."

"But… You can tell what it is by looking at it."

"There's only one way into the village, right? So the enemy will have to enter through it!"

"I don't think anyone will fall for this…" A bunch of the villager and Virgo agreed with Happy.

"Just you watch," she said.

"Something's coming this way!" the lookout shouted.

"It's them! Open the gate!" She completely forgot that Natsu and Gray were on the island as well, and that couldn't possibly be them… "Now, come to Mama…"

"Yo!" Natsu yelled, with Gray on his back. Lucy screamed in horror. "I'm not that scary!"

"Natsu! Stay right there!"

"What?"

"Stop!" Natsu skidded to a stop right in front of the trap. Lucy sighed in relief, then shrieked again when he said, "I don't remember this grass," and stepped on it. The entire village sweatdropped. The stupid trap had actually worked.

"Very funny!" he shouted. "Wait, where did you put all the dirt? That doesn't matter right now. Why are you playing around?!"

"Don't talk to me," Happy said. "It was Lucy's idea."

" _I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN!_ "

"It's not like that!" she yelled before Natsu thought to kill her.

"I'm glad you and Gray are okay," Happy called down.

"I'm fine, but he's out cold. Aw, crap, what's with all the puns?"

"The guy in the mask beat him?" Lucy asked in shock.

"No, I beat them both up," Natsu said sarcastically. "No, duh, idiot! Hey, that stupid ice is gone! Must have gone out of Lyon's range…" He pulled Gray back onto his back and jumped out.

"Gray," Lucy said softly.

"Lucy, what's the status with the lackeys?"

"Not a glimpse of them," Happy said. Natsu turned his head to them.

"I wasn't asking you, cat. That's kind of weird, though. They left for here before me, yet I got here first… And I was encased in ice and carrying Gray… Which means that they've been preparing something… probably deadly…" Natsu kept muttering to himself.

"Let's hurry and cover up that hole!" Lucy cheered. Natsu glanced at her.

"You still want to use the pitfall? Whatever." One of the villagers pointed out something in the sky. Natsu's keen eyes told him that somehow, that rat from before was flying… and carrying a bucket.

"The sky?! That makes the pitfall pointless!"

"That's your problem?"

* * *

"I didn't realize the Double Poison Jelly took so long to prepare," Sherry said.

"Perfect timing, though," Yuka said. "Those wizards have gathered in the village too."

"Destroying Deliora is the only way to achieve our desire," Sherry crooned. "Those who stand in our way must die."

* * *

Lucy watched as a drop of something green fell from the bucket. "Jelly?" she said softly. Natsu turned to her. He roughly shoved her out of the way. The jelly fell onto his forearm. He didn't move as it burned through his armor and flesh. "What was that for?!" she shouted, then saw how he was shaking. "Natsu?" He slowly gripped his outstretched arm with his other hand and pulled it against his chest. In a calm, flat tone, he said, "The contents of that bucket are deadly. A drop will kill a normal person. Get in the middle of the village and don't panic. I'll take care of it." Golden healing magic covered his arm as he healed the wound.

* * *

"Hideous," Yuka said. "To think that the Moon Drip causes people to become so hideous…"

Sherry added, "They're almost like demons; like Deliora's children. How unpleasant. Do it, Angelica." The rat grunted in response and threw the jelly at the village. Natsu growled deeply in his throat.

"I said get in the center of the village!" he roared, getting a running start. Flames covered his feet as he jumped. " **The flames of my right hands, and the flames of my left hand! Put them together, and… Fire Dragon Brilliant Flame!** " Launching the fire towards the center of the jelly, it exploded and pushed it away from where the villagers were standing.

"He dispersed it!" Yuka exclaimed in annoyance.

"He's a fire wizard!" Sherry fretted. The village was completely destroyed, leaving the center unharmed.

"Bobo's grave is still standing!" the chief said with joy. Then Yuka kicked it over simply because it was in his path. Natsu made a small snarling noise. Few things could get him mad quickly, but disrespecting the dead like that was one of them.

"The Cold Emperor ordered us to eradicate the village," Sherry said. "We were trying to show mercy by making your deaths quick… but it seems there's going to be much bloodshed after all."

"Fifty villagers," Yuka noted. "Two wizards. About fifteen minutes, I'd say."

"Lucy, you ready to earn that key?" Natsu asked.

"Oh, yeah."

"Count again!" Happy said. "Cause there's three wizards here!"

"How dare they!" Moka said. "How dare they ruin Bobo's grave! They'll pay for this!" It took three villagers to keep the old man from attacking them.

"Let me help," Gray said, standing.

"Gray!" Lucy cried. "You're awake!"

"Not going to happen," Natsu said. "You'll only get in the way. We don't need your help."

"Don't mock me, Natsu," Gray panted. Natsu punched him in the gut.

"Lie down, and get some rest. You're in no condition to be fighting." Gray clutched at Natsu's scarf for a moment, saying, "You… little… I'm… gonna kill…" He passed out.

"Why?" Lucy wondered.

"Natsu's giving Gray some compassion… letting him keep some of his dignity. Natsu knows he's in no condition to fight, so he had to stop him."

"I guess that means… deep down… Natsu really does care for Fairy Tail…" The villagers took Gray with them when they retreated.

"We're not leaving," Sherry said in a sweet voice. "The Cold Emperor ordered that everyone be eliminated. Angelica?" The two of them left, with an unexpected passenger: Lucy.

"Yup, she's stupid," Happy said.

"I agree," Natsu said.

"Leave the villagers alone!" she shouted. "They didn't do anything to you!"

"What does she think she's doing?" Sherry wondered.

"Are you ticklish?" Lucy asked the rat with a devious smile.

"Try all you want, it's not going to work!" the pinkette called back. Having said that, the rat began to laugh crazily. Its tail stopped spinning, and they fell. Natsu watched them fall as he sweatdropped.

"Whatever works," he shrugged. Yuka sighed.

"Oh, great. He's going to be ticked."

"I don't have any ticks!" Toby shouted.

"I wasn't talking about you."

"Happy, go see if Lucy's alive. I need to know what to tell the old man if she's not." He turned his attention to Toby and Yuka. Jumping in the air, he came down and head-butted Toby hard. To his credit, he did not die, or even pass out. While revolving, he shot a blast of fire at Yuka. Natsu landed safely on his feet. Unfortunately, Yuka was dispersing the flames with his own magic.

"A wizard who can breathe fire? Are you the Fairy Tail Salamander I've heard so much about?"

"Yes and yes," Natsu replied. "Interesting magic you've got there." Toby stood up. _His skull must be reeealy thick._

"Thank you. We once belonged to a renowned wizard guild too. This won't be as easy as you think."

"You want to bet?" Natsu cackled, settling into a battle stance and lighting his hands up.

"Does the Lamia Scale wizard guild ring any bells?"

"One, but it's small, and annoying, so I'm going to crush it like I'm going to crush you." Natsu sent two jets of fire at them.

"Hey!" Yuka yelled as he dispersed the fire again. "Cut it out! Don't you have the manners to listen until someone is done talking?"

"I thought that you wouldn't stop," Natsu said, feeling a familiar grin crawling over his face. "Besides, you really think I care? Cause I don't." Yuka glared at him.

"Toby. Stay out of this. I can take care of him on my own." Pointing one hand at him, he shouted, " **Wave!** " The annoying blue magic shot towards Natsu. His fire didn't work against it, blowing him away.

"Chikushō!" Natsu said in annoyance. What was the name of this magic? It obviously dispelled other magic. Interesting. He let loose another burst of flame - mostly to distract him long enough to figure out how to get close enough to beat him, but if it got him, that was a bonus.

" **Wave!** " Oh well. It was worth a try. "The pulsing energy coming from my hand neutralize every manner of magic. In short, it's magic impenetrable by magic."

"Interesting. I'm guessing that you were pretty useful as an anti-wizard asset in Lamia Scale."

"Correct. You're more intelligent than you look. It was my specialty. I'm sure you can understand why. All wizards, no matter how powerful, are powerless before me!" He shot two disc-like bursts at him. He narrowly avoided. He got the glimpse he wanted of his magic.

"I wouldn't be so sure!" Natsu jumped out of the smoke with a flaming fist - which immediately came up against Wave.

"I already told you. My waves nullify magic."

"Who says I'm going to use magic?" Natsu cackled, punching it with his bare hand. "What do you know? I got through." Pain began to shoot through his arm. He grunted in discomfort.

"You put your bare arm into a vortex of magic. I'm surprised you aren't screaming." Natsu began laughing maniacally as he shoved his face into the vortex.

"Wha…?!" Toby shouted. "He's sticking his whole body inside!"

"Your magic is no match for my brute strength!" Natsu said. The light of the magic lit up his face so that it could be seen clearly through the visor. The insane look frightened Yuka. "So what are you going to do now?!" He laughed even harder with insane glee.

"He's crazy, Yuka!" Toby yelled. "Watch out!"

"You broke through my wave, but what are you going to do now? You can't use magic inside the wave!"

"But I can still use it outside!" Yuka felt very very afraid suddenly. "Thanks for the great idea! **Fire Dragon…** "

"You're using your magic as a booster to increase your fist's strength?!" Yuka shrieked in horror.

" **Flame Elbow!** " Yuka went flying. Natsu took a knee. _That really hurt. I can't do something that reckless with the dog man. Speaking of which…_ He turned to Toby. The dog man growled at him. Natsu growled louder.

"Man, you're awesome!" Toby said.

"Er… Thanks?"

"I'm not scared of you!" he said. "I'm even stronger than Yuka!"

"Ooh… I might actually get a challenge on this job."

"Check out my Mega Jellyfish Paralyzing Nails!" Long green nails grew out of his hands. _Those could be troublesome if they somehow get through my armor._ "Bet you'll never guess what these babies do!" _Is this guy serious?_

"Uh… Paralyze you?" Toby was shocked.

"How did you know?! You got ESP or something?" Natsu sweat dropped. _He is serious…_

"No… you're just… real dumb." Toby attacked suddenly.

"NOBODY TALKS TO ME LIKE THAT" he roared, slashing furiously. Natsu dodged, curious to see how fast this dog guy could go. "One scratch from these and you're paralyzed!" _No, really?_ "All you can do is wait for death!" Natsu was getting bored. Toby's claws slashed down his front and broke. "How did you do that?!" Toby gasped.

"I'm wearing armor…"

"No way!"

"You honestly thought this is what I actually look like?"

"Well… yeah!"

"Wow… You've got something here," he said, touching his forehead. To his disbelief, it worked. Toby also touched his forehead, causing him to paralyze himself. "He really is a moron." Natsu lifted the gravestone from where it had fallen and put it back. "We'll find a way to change your people and your village back to normal." He sighed and lowered his head. "From one monster to another, I swear it."

* * *

 **I have to agree with Natsu... Where the heck did they put that dirt? I should be able to update tomorrow as well... Review please! My chances of updating are increased with reviews!**


	19. Galuna Island Arc: The Knight

**I was incredibly bored, so I decided to post two chapters in one day. Don't expect it to happen again.**

* * *

Lyon stood in front of Deliora, formulating his battle plan, when Zalty and the cultists interrupted him. "Cold Emperor," Zalty said. "Why did you not kill that boy named Gray?"

"No particular reason. You know I dislike blood."

"No, no," Zalty chuckled. "You say that, yet you are exterminating the villagers. It would appear that you have sentiments for your fellow pupil." Lyon sighed.

"Nonsense. After such a crushing defeat, he won't oppose me again. Still, if he does attempt to interfere, I won't hesitate…"

"Truly?" Zalty chuckled.

* * *

Lucy groaned as she came to. "Wait… where's the girl?" Oh, there she was, sobbing over her unconscious rat.

"D-Do you have any idea what you've done? Because of you, the Cold Emperor will no longer be able to trust me! He won't love me anymore!" _I don't think that's love…_ "And look what you did to Angelica! _I'll make you pay!_ "

"Bring it!" Lucy shouted back.

" **Wood Doll!** "

"The tree is alive!" Lucy shrieked. She barely avoided its attacks. " **Open, Gate of the Golden Bull! Taurus!** " The pervy bull spirit cut the tree in half with ease.

"Celestial spirit magic!" Sherry exclaimed. "And a Zodiac Gate, at that!"

"Nice work, Taurus!"

"How about you reward me with a smooooch?" Sherry was disgusted.

"Only someone indecent would enjoy making her celestial spirit say that."

"I didn't make him say it and I don't enjoy it!" Lucy shouted in protest.

"Moo!"

"Still, celestial wizards are a terrible match for me… and you're about to find out why…"

"Taurus, get her!" The bull charged, and then stopped. Lucy didn't like the smirk on Sherry's face. Then Taurus attacked her!

"Taurus! Why are you attacking me?!" He slashed furiously at her. "What's gotten into you?!" Her over shirt fell off, leaving her in her tube top.

"M-Miss Lucy… I can't control my body…"

"With my Marionette Attack magic," Sherry smirked, "I can control non-human beings… Even celestial spirits. They aren't human, after all."

"You can't be serious!" But she was. What else would make Taurus attack her?

"I'm… sorry… I can't control my body!"

" **Close, Gate of the Golden Bull!** " she shouted desperately. Taurus had her pinned underneath him.

"Remind me, don't celestial magic gates only open and close when both parties agree to it?"

"Close it, Taurus!"

"You can't close it by yourself," Sherry taunted.

"Taurus!" Lucy screamed.

"How about a round of Russian Roulette Punches?" _Oh, crap!_ "Close your eyes and punch until you get a hit!" Taurus was obviously struggling, but his fist pulled back all the same. Lucy barely dodged. "Let's see how long you can continue to dodge!" Another narrow miss.

"Don't hit me!" Lucy pleaded.

"I… can't…" Lucy was getting tired. She didn't know how long she could keep dodging.

"You say you're a Fairy Tail wizard, but you're nothing much at all."

"Taurus! Remember your contract with me! Please!"

 _"So your name is Lucy? Boy, you have a nice body!" Lucy sighed. Great. A pervy spirit. Just what she needed. But he was strong… "Oh! Look at you!"_

 _"I had no idea that the Golden Bull was such a pervert," she sighed, seriously rethinking this. "I don't know if I want to go through with this…"_

 _"There's nothing to be unsure of!" Taurus bellowed. "Make a contract with me, and I will protect you and your nice body!"_

 _"Promise?" she said doubtfully._

 _"I promise!" he said ecstatically._

Taurus seemed to be fighting it harder now, which was good if she wanted to keep her pretty face and her life. "You promised that you would protect me!" Taurus howled.

"Hey!" Sherry said with annoyance. "That's enough nonsense! Finish her off!"

"You heard her!" Lucy shouted. "Celestial magic gates open and close if both partners agree to it! We can send you back, but we've got to work together! Fight it!" His fist pulled back and rocketed toward her face. Less than an inch away, it stopped. His body was covered in the golden light that meant he was going back to the spirit world. Sherry was shocked. Lucy lay there for a moment, overwhelmed with emotion. "It… It worked…"

"I can't believe there's a wizard capable of that…" Sherry whispered. "I miscalculated…"

"Oh, wow," Lucy said. "I've gotten stronger!" Then she grinned at the pinkette and pulled out her whip. "Watch out! I'm a member of Fairy Tail too!"

"Forced Gate Closure…" Sherry pondered. "And while I was in control…"

"I guess that means I'm stronger than you!" Lucy grinned, pulling out her whip.

"But try not to forget," Sherry said with a smile, "I can control all of your spirits, and Forced Gate Closure takes quite a bit of magic energy.

"Don't be so sure," Lucy said, pulling out a silver key. "I have plenty more powerful spirits up my sleeve. **Open, Gate of the Little Dog: Nicola!** " Plue appeared in all of his adorable glory. Sherry fell in love with him.

"Isn't he the cutest little thing?" she cooed. "That's love as well!" _Yeah, whatever, lady._

"Would you quit talking about love all of the time? It's getting annoying."

"Well, someone's bitter." Sherry prepared her magic. " **Marionette Attack: Puppet!** " It struck Plue and an uncharacteristic evil glint appeared in his eye.

"Plue?" Lucy asked softly. He turned and began attacking her as violently as he could, which wasn't much at all. "Not you too!"

"You're kidding!" Sherry's jaw dropped when she saw the results.

"Fell for it," Lucy grinned. She swung her whip; Sherry barely avoided it.

"You summoned a weak spirit on purpose," she fumed.

"That's right," Lucy said. "I knew that Plue was harmless." Swinging her whip again, she almost hit Sherry again.

"Sheesh! I release you!" Plue stopped attacking, horrified at his actions.

"Aw, I know you didn't mean it! Now, go back, ok?" Plue vanished.

" **Marionette Attack: Rock Doll!** "

"This is going to turn into a game of cat and mouse!" Lucy shouted. "I use my spirit to destroy it, you take control, and I close the gate!" She whimpered when she saw the sheer size of it. _Uh-oh._

"Oh, that's too funny! Is that love too? So, cat and mouse it is… Let's see what you can do, little mouse."

"Now I'm in trouble! I don't have a spirit who can break a rock that big!" Lucy fled, narrowly missing its giant fists. _What am I going to do?_

* * *

Natsu walked along the forest path, tired. _I would kill for a bed right now._ Then he saw a very weird sight about three yards in front of him. Lucy ran by, shrieking, "Not good! Not good!" Then a giant rock monster walked by, with the weird girl that always talked about love saying, "Do not let her get away! Get that child, Rock Doll!" Neither saw him. Natsu watched them pass. The last he heard of them was Lucy shouting, "Who are you calling a child? We're the same age!" When the forest was quiet again, he continued walking to where the villagers were taking shelter.

* * *

"Ok, which spirit should I use?" Lucy panted, trying to study her keys while running for her life.

"You'd better hurry!" Sherry sang. "If you don't start running faster, we're going to catch up with you!" And now she was cornered, with her back to the ocean. "This is a cliff!" she shrieked as the ledge began to crack. Lucy screamed as she crashed onto the beach.

"Finish her, Rock Doll!" Sherry commanded. Lucy kept running. "There's no where to run, Blondie! That way is a dead-end!" So it was.

"The ocean," she murmured. "I could summon Aquarius from here…" A plan began to form as Sherry approached. Aquarius would be angry, but then again, she was always angry. "Water can't destroy that thing… besides, Aquarius would make sure that I would get caught up in the spell. Wait a minute…" The plan finished itself.

"Sorry," Sherry laughed. "No love for you!"

" **Open, Gate of the Water-Bearer: Aquarius!** "

"Aquarius?!" Sherry said in shock. "How does a weakling like you have spirits that powerful?"

"That girl is your enemy!" Lucy shouted, pointing to Sherry. "You hate people like her, right? So go get her!"

"Urgh," Aquarius sighed.

"I don't have time to deal with your bad attitude! Just do it already!"

"Well, I see that you're just as annoying as ever," Aquarius said. "No wonder _you_ still can't find a boyfriend."

"WHY DO YOU KEEP RUBBING IT IN LIKE THAT?"

" **Marionette Attack: Puppet!** You will now do as I command."

"What?" Aquarius said in a deadly tone. Lucy almost felt sorry for Sherry.

"Now Aquarius will do whatever I say. You might as well send her back."

"Nope!" Lucy replied cheerfully. "This is my trump card."

"Then let the power of the sea smash you into pieces!" Sherry laughed. "Aquarius! Get rid of that girl!" What Sherry didn't know was that giving Aquarius an order was a very bad idea.

"WHAT?" Aquarius said angrily. "I was already planning on it!" she roared as she reared back with her pitcher. Lucy whimpered a little.

Natsu watched the tidal wave hit the shore. _This is why celestial spirits and I don't get along._

Lucy was caught up in the wave first, but she was used to it. Aquarius always included her in the after effects of one of her attacks.

"Say goodbye, little g- Kya!" Sherry started to say, but then she noticed that the wave wasn't stopping. "Wait!" she shrieked. Too late. Both girls were washed away in the whirlpool. Aquarius watched them with a smirk.

"Heh. And I thought the blonde girl was stupid. I can close my own Gate, thank you. Moron." She vanished back to the spirit world. The wave washed both Lucy and Sherry onto shore. They were both too dizzy to fight.

"Leave it to Aquarius to hurl her waves against everyone, whether they're friend or foe," Lucy said, swaying from side to side.

"That was careless of me…" Sherry said dizzily. "But it doesn't matter because she wasn't strong enough to destroy my Rock Doll!"

"Puppets only work when there's someone to control them…" Lucy shot back. "I didn't need to defeat the Rock Doll! I just need to get you feeling woozy!" They bumped into each other and began fighting. "This is how Fairy Tail wizards do things!"

"I can't believe you forced a draw!"

"What do you mean 'draw'? I won!"

"Nonsense! You're all woozy too!"

"In that case, how about this?!" Lucy yelled, hitting Sherry hard.

"I've… lost? Me?!" Sherry wailed.

"What do you think now? I'm a member of Fairy Tail too, you know!" Lucy said, grinning. The Rock Doll crumbled into dust.

"Even if the light of my life should go out," Sherry sighed, "my love for you will blaze on forever, Cold Emperor!"

"You're not gonna die," Lucy sweatdropped. "Quit exaggerating."

"Angelica," Sherry whispered. "Avenge me…" Then she passed out. The giant rat flew out of nowhere and tried to crush Lucy.

"What! But I thought that rat was one of her puppets!" She collapsed. "I can't move my legs for some reason!" She screamed like a little girl as the rat belly flopped on her. With a single swipe of her sword, however. Erza knocked the rat away. She turned.

"Erza!" Lucy cried with joy, but then shrank back when she saw the dark anger in her eyes. "Whoa…" _I don't think she knows that Natsu is here with us._

"Lucy," Erza said sternly. "I take it you know why I'm here."

"I can explain…"

"Lucy!" Happy yelled. "I've been looking all over for you! I'm glad you're ok. I was wor-" He gasped when he saw Erza. When her gaze shifted to him, he flew as fast as he could away, but it was no use. Erza got him anyway.

"Where's Gray?" she asked, holding Happy by the tail.

"Listen," Lucy started. "We've got an S-class wizard here wi-"

"I do not count," Erza said.

"But some really awful things are happening!" Lucy protested. "Some guys are trying to revive a frozen demon and the villagers are suffering because of their magic! Basically, things are bad!"

"Not my problem," Erza stated.

"Erza!" Lucy cried. "But Na-" Erza pointed a sword at her.

"Silence! We will locate Gray and leave as once. You have betrayed Master Makarov. You will pay the price…" _Ok, now I'm really scared!_

* * *

Natsu froze in his tracks. _I sense a fell presence on the island._

* * *

 **I can't wait to see Erza's face when she finds out that she was wrong and they were perfectly in the right to come to Galuna...**

 **Guest Reviews - Whisper: Can't tell you. Sorry :)**

 **TigerArrowgirl - I don't know, he doesn't seem to care much for Lucy right now. Meh. He doesn't care about anything. And I'm afriad I don't read the manga, sadly, so I don't know how Gajeel beat her up in that. (And who is this Caked person?) Review some more please!**

 **Edit: I forgot to add that last part. Both funny and accurate.**


	20. Galuna Island Arc: Arrogance

Gray grunted as he woke up. He was in a tent, with his wounds bandaged. There were several crates and barrels as well. He sat up and looked around.

"Where am I?" he wondered. He walked outside to see several more tents and no sign of Lucy, Happy, or Natsu.

"Thank goodness!" a female voice said. "I'm glad you're awake!" It was one of the villagers.

"Where are we?" Gray asked.

"A storage area a short distance from the village," she explained. "Everything was destroyed last night, so everyone took refuge here.

"The whole village?" he asked in shock. Yes, Fairy Tail members destroyed a lot, but they had never destroyed an entire village before. "That's horrible." Then he remembered.

"Destroy the village" Lyon had said. "It's a shame there has to be bloodshed." _I can't believe it… They actually did it…_ He grunted as his shoulder throbbed painfully.

"But it's a blessed relief that no one was hurt, thanks to Natsu and Lucy," she said.

"Are they still around?" he asked.

"Yes," she said. "They actually wanted me to show you to their tent when you woke up."

"I see," Gray said.

"They're waiting for you in that tent over there." He pushed the flaps aside and froze in horror. Erza's death glare greeted him. Lucy and Happy were both tied up.

"You made me wait," Erza said. "Not smart."

"Erza!" Gray cried in horror.

"Why are they tied up?" he asked.

"We are waiting for you. I thought you were sent here to stop Lucy and Happy. I'm very disappointed in you."

"You don't understand!" Gray said. "We have an S-class wizard here with us!"

"And who might that be?"

"Natsu," Happy whimpered. The shock on Erza's face was immense.

"Natsu's here?" Erza demanded.

"I tried to tell you," Lucy sighed. "He just forgot to register the job."

"I see," she said softly. "He's done that before, but never with an S-class job. Where is he anyway?" They all shrugged.

"The last time I saw him, he had been fighting against the Cold Emperor's henchmen at the village," Lucy said. "There's no telling where he is now."

"Ok," Erza said. "We're going to search for Natsu, and then we're leaving to tell the master what really happened."

"Do you really think that Natsu can handle a demon by himself?" Gray demanded. "He's a pretty impressive guy, but there's no way one human can take on a demon!"

"And what would be your point?" she asked. He stared at her in shock.

* * *

"Come up with a great idea, and then I go and oversleep," Natsu grumbled as he made his way through the forest. "Just brilliant. I ought to get the reward for smartest man alive. Actually, I probably should." He stood in front of the temple. "All right, then. Time to get started…"

* * *

"I came here solely to apprehend you, but now that it is no longer necessary, we will be going back to the guild," Erza said.

"Haven't you seen what the people on this island look like?" Gray demanded.

"I have."

"And you just wanna ignore it?!"

"The job request has been posted at all the guilds," she stated. "Wouldn't it be more logical to leave this job to guild wizards who have officially accepted the task?"

"How can you be so heartless?" Gray shouted. "I thought you were better than this, Erza!" She turned, a deadly glare in her eyes.

"What did you say?"

"That's no way to speak to the Great Erza!" Happy exclaimed.

"Suck up," Lucy sighed. Erza pulled out a sword.

"So you intend to stay here on a quest that you haven't been cleared for?" She pointed the sword at him. "You will face the same punishment!" Gray pulled the sword down from his neck to his chest, above his guild mark.

"Do what you will," he said grimly. "This is the path I've chosen! I will help these people! I can't walk away from what I know is right." Erza slowly removed the sword. Gray left the tent. "I'm seeing this through to the end," he said. "Strike me down if you want." Lucy and Happy watched in shock as he walked out. They both shrieked as Erza turned her glare on them.

"Please don't get mad at me!" Lucy yelled. "We don't have control over Gray!"

"Gray's on edge because he lost to an old friend!" Happy added. There were two slashes and their ropes fell.

"This state of affairs won't do," she muttered. "We'll deal with the immediate problem, and deal with this later."

"Thank you!" they both cried.

"This doesn't change anything. You're still going to face punishment." Their faces fell.

"Yes, ma'am…"

* * *

"How pathetic," Lyon said. "You're the only one left, Toby?" Toby whined softly. "Those Fairy Tail wizards are quite impressive…"

"Hey, could we keep that whole shocking myself thing a secret?" Toby asked. Lyon ignored him.

"This state of affairs puts Deliora's revival in jeopardy," Zalty said, walking in.

"I didn't see you there, Zalty," Lyon said cooly.

"If all goes as planned, Deliora shall revive tonight, completely infused with the moon's magic. If those wizards were to interfere with the Moon Drip, then Deliora will be forever encased in ice. The Salamander and the Titania are quite powerful."

"As always," Lyon said. "You seem very well informed. That said, they cannot beat me." His ice magic swirled around his hand. "I am the blade of ice that surpasses even Ur."

"I was hoping you'd say that," Zalty said. "It's very reassuring to hear. But still, allow me to join the battle for old times sake."

"Hold up!" Toby exclaimed. "I didn't know that you could fight too!"

"Yes," Zalty smirked. "It's been awhile since I used it, but I dabble in a bit of Lost Magic."

"Hmph," Lyon said. "You're an eerie fellow. Very well. We could use another wizard." The temple began to shake.

"It's an earthquake!" Toby shouted. The temple tilted drastically to the side.

"I don't think so," Lyon said.

"The ruins are crumbling!" Toby then panicked. It finally settled down at a steep angle.

Natsu laughed as he destroyed some of the supports of the temple. This was surprisingly fun. _Wait a second… Those jerks are somewhere above me!_ He sent a jet of flame through the ceiling, their floor, and destroyed it.

"What is the meaning of this?" he heard Lyon shout.

"I should have known that Salamander would make the first move," Zalty said. "It appears we have a visitor, sir." They could see Natsu five floors below them.

"I might have overdone it," Natsu muttered to himself. "But I see them now!" He laughed. "You know, I usually destroy stuff without realizing it, but destroying stuff on purpose is harder than I remember." Lyon glared at him.

"What is the meaning of this?" he thundered again.

"I might have tilted the temple so you can't do the Moon Drip anymore. Good luck freeing Deliora without it!"

"Insolent fool! Just who do you think you are?!"

"The guy who makes the demon you got down stairs look like a fly!" he snarled.

"Ok," Toby said. "I'm lost… I have no idea what's going on…"

"What else is new?" Natsu muttered.

"Evidently this boy," Zalty said, "is the reason this temple is tilted. By destroying half of the support pillars below, he was able to tilt the ruins, thereby preventing the moonlight from reaching Deliora. It's an ingenious plan."

"Thank you," Natsu replied.

"I'm actually surprised that this dolt came up with it himself."

"What did you say?!" Natsu used his fire to hover a little, preparing to jet up to fight them.

"Flames from his feet?" Lyon mused.

"Yeah!" Toby said. "Fire comes all outta his body!" _Here we go._ His fire propelled him up as he headbutted Lyon in the gut, impaling him with his horns. _Gotcha._ Then he shattered into a thousand shards of ice. _Crap! An Ice clone!_ Magic began to build up behind him. He didn't need to look to know that it was the real Lyon.

" **Ice Make: Eagle!** " Natsu jumped into the air, effectively dodging them ice birds, but the circled around and came at him again. "You can't dodge my eagles in the air, Fairy Tail wizard!" Natsu unleashed a burst of fire above him, pushing him down. He did a one-handed handspring, shooting fire out of his feet and spare hand. Lyon barely crouched in time. "What kind of ridiculous magic is this?"

"This is Fire Dragon Slayer magic, Natsu-style!" he roared. Standing on his hands, Natsu spread his legs and shot fire out of them. Flames were dancing all around them as he shot a Roar at Lyon. Then Zalty had to go and interfere. Natsu felt the ground beneath him weaken and break, and the attack missed as he fell. Lyon landed cleanly.

"You were quite lucky, Cold Emperor," he said.

"Could we keep the fact that I got charred a secret?" Toby asked as he smoldered.

"What did you do?" Lyon demanded, ignoring Toby again.

"Whatever do you mean?" Zalty asked with his usual smirk.

"Don't play dumb with me. It was your magic that caused the floor to crumble."

"You could tell? You're truly impressive, Cold Emperor." The hole began to stop smoking from the heat of Natsu's fire. "But please understand. We cannot afford to lose you before Deliora is revived." The room grew much colder than it was before.

"Are you suggesting those measly flames could have beaten me?" he demanded. The floor, walls, and ceiling began to freeze over. "Leave me. I can take care of this myself." Natsu glared at him from where he was emerging from the hole. Lyon glared back. "I am Cold Emperor Lyon, the only wizard capable of defeating Deliora. I've worked too hard to let a brat like him tarnish my name."

"As you wish," Zalty said.

"A brat, am I?" Natsu growled. "You really think that you're the only one who can defeat Deliora, let alone take him on and live period?"

* * *

Gray, Erza, Lucy, and Happy ran through the forest. They had seen the temple tilt, and correctly guessed that it was Natsu.

"Are you kidding me?" Lucy panted. "He seriously thinks he can defeat Deliora?" Gray said nothing, but a grim look covered his face.


	21. Galuna Island Arc: Historia

**I only got three reviews yesterday... And while I can't check exactly how many view I've gotten, because that part has crashed, I know from past experience that I'm getting a butt load of traffic. So please review. Thanks! Oh, and I wanted to thank you guys! We've reached over 100 followers! Woohoo!**

* * *

"Are you crazy?" Natsu asked. "Deliora's probably half-dead already! You're going through all this trouble to free it, just so you can kill it? That's pretty messed up!"

"I must rise above Ur's level," Lyon insisted. He shot Ice eagles at Natsu again. "I will not rest until I have surpassed her!" Natsu dodged as the birds dive-bombed him.

"Why go this far? Challenger her yourself and be done with it!"

"Well, I would if I could! However, Ur has been dead for years!" Natsu remembered Gray's words down in the cavern. _Master Ur, the woman who taught me magic, risked her life to seal it away!_

"I didn't realize she ended up dying when she sealed it," Natsu said. But something about this was bugging him…

"Yes, but she'd still be alive if it wasn't for Gray!" Natsu frowned. _How is this Gray's fault?_ He spotted an Ice eagle out of the corner of his eye. It slammed into him and exploded. When the dust cleared, Lyon saw Natsu in a guard position.

"I don't know what happened between you and Gray," he said. "But what you're trying to do now is causing trouble for a lot of people. And since you don't seem to care, I'm going to bring you to your senses with a scorching hot scolding!" He lit his hand on fire.

"You have no room to talk," Lyon said coolly. Natsu paused.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean that you are a murderer." He froze, his heart hammering in his chest. "I have heard of your reputation, Salamander. I understand that you are not the first murderer to wear that armor either." Natsu grimaced. _So he found out._ "You, my friend, come from a long line of murderers. Am I wrong in assuming that it was you who slaughtered everyone in the Mizuna region seven years ago?" Natsu lowered his head.

"I've done some things I'm not proud of," he admitted. "But I won't let more people die!"

"Before we get started, tell me why you slaughtered them," Lyon said. A feral growl escaped from somewhere deep in Natsu's throat.

"That's none of your business," he snarled. "My reasons for killing are my own."

* * *

"Even back when we were kids," Gray said softly, pressing his hand against a tree, "surpassing Ur has always been Lyon's one and only goal. But now that she's gone, he's trying to surpass her by defeating Deliora, the monster she couldn't defeat."

"I guess that would be the only way to surpass someone who's dead," Lucy said.

"Aye."

"No… Guys, there's something Lyon doesn't know." Lucy stared in confusion. He turned. "I kept it secret because Ur made me promise… It's true that she vanished without a trace. But now I have to tell Lyon the truth… Ur may not be with us, but she's still alive!" The others stared at him in shock.

"What do you mean?" Erza asked. Gray stared off into space.

"It's been ten years…"

* * *

Gray ran frantically. He didn't know where his parents were. Mom had told him to run. Deliora knocked the bell tower down. Fires were raging. "Dad?" he croaked. "Mom? Anyone?" He stopped to stare at the immortal demon. When he turned, he screamed in horror. There was his father, dead. Blood covered his face. Gray screamed again. He didn't stop screaming until he was partially crushed by a falling building and knocked out.

* * *

Ur studied the ruins of Isvan sadly. _Deliora has ravaged this city. Has no one survived?_ Lyon followed behind her, slanted eyes wide.

"I've heard of Deliora's destructive power… but I never expected this…" Movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. There was a little boy under a slab of stone. It had landed perfectly so that he wasn't crushed to death. "Lyon! Get over here! There's a survivor!" Lyon rushed to her side.

"Hey!" he shouted. "Are you alright?" The boy groaned softly as his eyes opened. Lyon's concerned face was near his own, and Ur was standing just a little behind him. Ur pushed the stone aside and picked him up.

"What's your name, kid?" she asked.

"Gr- Gray," he said weakly, then passed out. Hours later, they watched Gray as he placed flowers on his parents' grave. "Deliora…" he whispered. "I'll get you for this…" Tears streamed down his face. "I swear I'll make you pay…" Ur watched him with sadness in her eyes.

Gray shivered. They were up on the mountain where Ur lived and trained. It was freezing! The thin jacket she bought him barely blocked any of the cold.

"Are you going to be able to keep up, Gray?" Ur asked. She turned. "I warned you, training with me can be tough." He breathed heavily for another moment.

"Yeah! I'll do whatever it takes! I have to become stronger than Deliora, cause someday, I'm going to beat him!"

"Yeah, right," Lyon muttered.

"Ok," Ur said with a smile. "Let's get started."

"Fine," Gray snapped. "Ready when you are." He cried out in horror when Ur stripped off her clothes, leaving her in her strapless bra and underwear. "What are you doing?!"

"The first step is to strip," she said with amusement.

"Are you kidding me?" he shouted. "You must be crazy if you think I'm stripping on this mountain! Back me up, Lyon!" To his horror, Lyon was in his boxers. "Now you're naked too?!"

"Just hurry up and do it," he said with a wink. "You wanna be strong, don't you?"

"I can't believe you're making me do this! It better not be some kind of joke!" He pulled his clothes off.

"Atta boy, Gray," Ur said. "If you want to control the cold, you have to become one with it. You'll get used to it soon."

"I already have," Lyon boasted, shivering.

"You're shivering just as much as I am," Gray retorted.

"Let's go, boys," Ur said, setting off on a run.

"Hey! I thought you were going to teach me magic!"

"Just run! I don't wanna do this beginner stuff either!" Their training was… interesting to say the least. They took naked runs almost everyday, and took baths so cold that there was still chunks of ice floating around. Lyon seemed to be enjoy it, though Gray was beginning to resent his new teacher.

"I practice Maker magic," Ur explained over dinner. "Out of all of the magical arts, I feel this one gives you the most creative freedom. In fact, every wizard who practices Maker magic has their own unique style." Earlier that day, she had been teaching Gray magic while Lyon watched Snow Vulcans. Gray yelped when Lyon used only one hand to create a giant gorilla. Ur punched him in the head. She had been teaching them to use both hands, not one. "If you train hard, then someday, you'll create a style all your own." Ur watched her students sleep that night. Gray was snoring a little. _I'm proud of you boys._

* * *

 **I'm expecting to get a lot of questions about Natsu. I mean, he slaughtered an entire region. And I have decided on the reason. Review please! Or I'll set Natsu on you. And Erza, after telling her that you stole her cake. Though, I'd be surprised if you were still alive after Natsu's through with you. So review... or else... :)**


	22. Galuna Island Arc: Death

**Thanks for all of the lovely reviews! I am on a roll so far!**

* * *

"Who's the dark haired boy?" a friend of Ur's asked while she bought supplies. Gray and Lyon were waiting on the side of a fountain. "Did you pick up another student?"

"Yeah, his name's Gray. He's a rebel and doesn't do what he's told," she added with a hint of amusement.

"The other one's Lyon, right? I bet when those two grow up, they'll be real studs!"

"You think so?" Ur asked with a mouth full of fruit.

"Yeah, in fact, would you mind saving one of them for me?"

"If you want those little headaches," Ur said, taking another bite, "you're welcome to them."

"You know," she said. "Maybe men stay away from you because they think you have kids." Ur laughed as she payed.

"I don't need romantic advice."

"But don't you think it's time to start thinking about your own happiness?" Ur gave her an incredulous look.

"Yeah, yeah."

"Hey, Gray," Lyon said. "How much longer do you think it'll be until we're better than Ur?"

"How the heck should I know?" Gray replied sullenly.

"She's the best wizard around! My dream is to be better than her someday!"

"Can't stop running your mouth, can you? Do you really think I care about that?"

"Man, you're gloomy," Lyon said.

"You're all 'Master' this, and 'Master' that, and you're too upbeat."

"She told me she decided to teach you because she sees some kind of darkness inside of you." They both watched Ur looking steadily more irritated as her friend kept talking.

"After what happened, I'd be crazy not to hold darkness inside me."

"Well," Lyon continued, "she said she wants to clear that darkness away."

"I'll do that on my own," Gray growled, clenching a fist. "By my own hand." Lyon sighed. "Right now, all I care about is defeating Deliora. And once I've learned enough magic, it's 'so long' to that ice-hearted wench." Ur punched him in the head while Lyon laughed. He had seen her coming while Gray was brooding.

"Keep talking that way about me and you're dead meat!" she threatened.

"Sorry," he muttered. As they walked through town on the way back to the house, he asked, "So when are you finally going to start teaching us some strong magic?"

"I already have."

"I'm not talking about that Maker magic crap. Far as I can tell, that junk's completely useless." Ur stopped and turned. She gave Gray a stern look. He glared back. He finally looked away from the force of her gaze.

"Look me in the eyes," she ordered. When he ignored her, she said, "Gray." He reluctantly obeyed. "I told you before. Maker magic is all about freedom. Once you find your own form, it can become as strong as you want." Gray looked away in annoyance.

"Quit saying the same crap over and over," he sighed, holding his coat off to the side. Lyon looked on in surprise.

" _Why are you stripping here?_ " she asked in horror. "Put your clothes back on!" Gray stared the pile of his clothes in horror.

"Now I have this weird habit cause of you!" he shouted angrily. Ur punched him into the air.

"Don't you blame it on me!" she shouted back. Lyon and the people around them were laughing. "Let's get out of here," Ur sighed, embarrassed.

"Ok," Gray whispered.

"Well, that was embarrassing," Ur said once they were a good distance from town.

"And hilarious!" Lyon added with a laugh.

"Shut up!" Gray snapped.

"You shut up, Droopy-Eyes!" Ur just sighed and let them argue. As a wagon passed them, Gray heard them talking.

"Say, have you heard about Deliora?" Gray froze.

"Yeah. They say he's gone up to the northern continent. Somewhere around Brago."

"I hope they don't end up suffering the same fate as Isvan." Gray dropped his bag of groceries. Ur and Lyon turned.

"Gray, what's wrong?" she asked.

"Deliora… is in Brago!"

* * *

"No way!" Ur shouted at Gray as he walked into the blizzard. Lyon stood behind her, worried. "Deliora is out of your league! It'll kill you! Don't go!" Gray stopped.

"Beg all you want!" he shouted back without turning. "You're not going to change my mind! Don't you understand? That demon took my mom and dad away from me! I have to get revenge!"

"Leave, and you're no longer my student!" Ur threatened as a last resort. It didn't work.

"Fine!" he shouted. "I'm better off without you!" Lyon watched with sadness in his eyes.

"Don't go," he whispered.

"And if that thing kills me!" Gray shouted as a parting remark, "It'll be your fault! You should have taught me real magic!" Ur watched him go with sadness in her eyes.

"Great…" she muttered.

* * *

Lucy's head tilted to match the temple. Dust was still rising. "Hey, guys? Is it just me, or do the ruins seem a little tilted?"

"What happened to it?" Happy asked.

"I'm guessing Natsu," Gray said.

"Yes," Erza said.

"I don't know how he managed to pull that off, but he's the only one who would do something like this. Pretty great idea if he did it on purpose."

"Why do I have the feeling it was just dumb luck?" Lucy sighed, her head still crooked. "Either way, the moonlight won't hit Deliora now."

"Perhaps Natsu's habit of destroying things is good for something after all," Ezra said with a small smile.

"My head's stuck!" Happy complained, trying return his head to a straight position. Erza shifted. Something was in the trees. Disks came flying out toward them.

"Look out!" she shouted, punching them out of the way. She and Gray both jumped out of the way. "Who's there?" she demanded. It was the cultists, all holding the same moon-shaped disks that had been thrown at them.

"We found you, Fairy Tail!" one of them said.

"We won't allow you to interfere with the Cold Emperor!" another cried.

"Not these guys," Gray groaned.

"Lyon's minions?" Erza asked.

"We're surrounded!" Lucy yelped.

"Leave this to me," Erza said, stretching out a hand. A sword appeared.

"You sure?" Gray said.

"I'll take care of them," she asserted. "You go and settle things with Lyon." Gray nodded after a moment of surprise. Lucy pulled out her whip.

"We'll fight with her! You just and do what you've got to do!" Happy brandished a fish skeleton.

"Aye!"

"Thanks, you guys," he said. He grinned a little.

* * *

Natsu blasted through Lyon's ice again. He was getting seriously ticked off. "How old were you when you slaughtered hundreds?" he taunted. "Ten? Eleven?"

"My age is of no consequence," Natsu snarled. "My only concern is to take you down!"

* * *

 _I've got to tell Lyon that Ur is still alive!_ Gray thought. _The only one who can stop him… is me._

* * *

" **Ice Make: Rose Garden!** " The ice covered Deliora as it roared. A beam of green light shot from its mouth. For a moment, nothing happened, but then a wall of fire erupted where the beam had hit. "This is bad," Ur panted. "I can't keep this up… I'm using too much magic energy…" She looked behind her to where Gray and Lyon lay unconscious. Gray stirred. _What happened?_ Oh, right… He had challenged Deliora and lost badly. But then… Ur and Lyon had come. Shortly afterward, Gray had knocked out. _Is Ur still alive?_ He gasped and sat up when he realized that Deliora must still be near. He was, but he wasn't paying attention to them. It was Isvan all over again. Tears filled his eyes. _What have I done?_ Ur pulled him up, holding him tightly.

"It's ok," she said in a soothing voice that reminded him of his mother. "Everything's going to be fine." He almost burst into tears right then because those were his mother's last words to him before she told him to run and to not look back.

"You're here," he said. "Ur… But why?"

"I want you to take Lyon and get away from here," she said. "I can't concentrate on fighting if I have to protect you." He noticed Lyon for the first time.

"Oh, no!"

"He's fine," Ur promised. "Just out cold." As Gray ran over to his older fellow pupil, Ur turned toward Deliora with a grim look on her face. "Deliora!"

"It's too strong," Gray whispered as he pulled Lyon up. "I couldn't do a thing."

"Get going," Ur commanded as she walked towards the demon.

"Ur? Why did you come after me? I thought I wasn't your student anymore!" She paused.

"A friend told me recently I should think about my own happiness," she said. "I don't recall ever looking unhappy, though." Gray looked at his teacher in confusion. "She just doesn't understand… I have two adorable little students that I spend each day with, and watch them grow into men. What more could I want? I don't think that there's anything in the world that could make me happier." Gray noticed her leg. It had been destroyed just below the knee.

"Ur… Your leg!"

"Oh, you noticed. I lost the real one, but this will do for now. My Maker magic came in handy." Tears were streaming down Gray's face. "I vowed I would free you from the darkness within you. And if that means I have to fight this demon, then so be it. Now get out of here and let me do this."

"No!" he protested. "I'm not leaving you! It's my fault all of this happened!"

"No one's all fault," Ur said. "This is just something we have to go through in order to be happy again.

"Ur," Lyon whispered. She turned as Gray let him go.

"I thought you were unconscious. I need you and Gray to-"

"You're going to defeat it, right?" he said with an odd look in his eyes. "You're talking like you're… not gonna make it."

"Let her go!" Gray shouted.

"Shut up!" Lyon snapped. "You can beat that thing no problem! You're the strongest wizard alive; that demon's no match for you!"

"Lyon," Ur sighed. "How many times have I told you? There's _always_ someone better."

"But… that can't be true…"

"In the western countries, there are lots of wizards more powerful than me."

"No, there aren't," Lyon said, the look in his eyes intensifying. "You're… You're the strongest! Otherwise… what did I train for all this time?"

"One day you'll surpass me," Ur said calmly. "And when that day comes, I hope you move on to a loftier goal."

"I studied with you because I thought you were the strongest," Lyon spat. "If you let that monster defeat you, you'll prove me wrong! Ur… _don't betray me!_ "

"Lyon," Ur started, but Lyon pushed past her.

"If you're not going to give this your all, then I will!" Ur's eyes widened. Lyon skidded to a stop and settled into a stance that Gray wasn't familiar with. His rigidly straight arms formed an 'X' with palms down.

"Lyon, that stance! Where did you learn it?!"

"Where, you ask?" Lyon asked with an insane look. A large magic circle appeared beneath his feet. "You wouldn't teach us powerful magic, so I took it upon myself to read the magic books in the storeroom!" The circle shone brightly. "Why did you hide magic as powerful as Iced Shell from us?"

"Lyon! Did you not read that book all the way through?! Do you know what happens to the spell caster?" Gray watched the light, not sure of the emotions rushing through him.

"Iced Shell?" he asked, confused. _What happens to the spell caster?_

"I asked you a question!" Ur roared. "Answer me, Lyon!" Deliora turned as the spell reached a new stage.

"Please!" Gray cried. "You can't do this!"

"It noticed us!" Ur whispered.

"No magic of any kind works against Deliora," Lyon said. "But if I cast this spell, I can seal him in ice for all eternity!" Magic that was not his own began to build up, and he was frozen in a block of ice.

"Sorry, but I'm not going to let you do that!" Ur told him.

"But, Ur," Gray said. "Why is it bad?"

"When that spell's used, the caster's body becomes the Iced Shell itself." Gray's eyes widened.  
He's right, though. That's the only way Deliora can be stopped. I never would have imagined that Lyon would come up with the same idea that I did…"

"Hey, wait!" Gray cried as Ur's magic became a bright aura. "Where are you going?!"

"I must have taught him well…"

"Ur!" he screamed.

"Stay back," Ur warned as Deliora growled. She settled into the same stance that Lyon had been in. The ground beneath her broke and floated into the air. The light became intense. Magic circles appeared above and on all four sides of Deliora. "I won't ever let you near my pupils!" she screamed at the demon. "This is the end of the line, monster! **Absolute Freeze! Iced Shell!** " She violently uncrossed her arms, unleashing the magic. The light became far too bright to look at.

"Ur!" he screamed. "Please! Don't do it! Your body!"

"It's a sacrifice that I have to make to protect you two," she murmured. "My body will become the ice that will seal the demon Deliora for eternity." Tears were streaming down Gray's face again. "Gray. I have a favor to ask. Tell Lyon that I died. Knowing him, if he learns that I turned to ice, he'll likely waste his life trying to lift this spell. That would make my reason for doing this meaningless."

" _Stop!_ " he begged.

"I want Lyon to see more of the world. And you too, of course, Gray…"

"I'm begging you! Please don't do this! I'll do whatever you say, I promise!"

"There's no reason to be sad," Ur promised as her body completely turned to ice. "I'll live on. Please don't cry. I may not be with you, but I'll protect you from Deliora. Walk forth. Toward the future."

" _UR!_ " he screamed at the sky. _I freed you from the darkness, Gray. I've sealed it away forever. Be strong…_ Gray could feel all the anger and sadness that had possessed him for so long vanish as he stared at the ice encased demon. He swore he would be strong for Ur, to become the best wizard he could to make her proud.

In the morning, Lyon woke up. Sitting up, he complained, "What did she do to me?" He took notice of Deliora. "That's Deliora! How did it happen? Did Ur cast the spell? Did she? Where is she now?" Gray didn't respond, just continued to cry softly. "Tell me!"

"She… She's dead," Gray whispered, not looking up.

"No…" Lyon said. "No!" He slammed Gray against a slab of stone. "You jerk!" he cried, tears running down his own face as well. "How will I surpass her now? She's dead, and so is my dream, because of you!"

"I'm sorry," Gray whimpered. Grief was overwhelming him.

"That's not good enough!" Lyon shouted. "It won't bring her back!" Both boys were openly sobbing. "You killed my dream! If you hadn't challenged Deliora, none of this would have happened! It's your fault she's dead. You're the one… You killed Master Ur."

* * *

 **Ouch... Well, review please, or I'll set Natsu on you. And it's scary Natsu, not anime Natsu.**


	23. Galuna Island Arc: Broken Teeth

**I think that Fanfiction crashed; I couldn't get on. But I can now, so here's the chapter. We find out an interesting (if sad) fact about Natsu.**

* * *

This _could go on forever_ , Natsu thought, _unless I unleash my more powerful magic, but if I'm not careful, I may destroy the island and everyone on it._ "Do yourself a favor, and surrender," he growled.

"I would never give you that satisfaction," Lyon sniffed.

"Fine by me… Glad you don't mind a painful death by fire."

"I would only be another casualty in your book, a drop in the oceans of lives you have taken." Natsu took a deep breath. Lyon was gleefully unsettling him like this.

"Don't get me angry," Natsu warned. The familiar battle lust was filling him. He fought against it desperately. Whenever his Battle Fury rose high enough, he would go on a rampage, brutally killing friend or foe until none were left alive. He couldn't let this happen now.

"How old were you when you took your first life? Hmm? How old when you sent a soul into oblivion?"

"Five!" he roared unexpectedly. "I was five," he repeated in a much quieter voice.

"Amusing," Lyon said. Natsu's head snapped up, eyes narrowing with rage.

"I'll show you 'amusing'," he snarled. Water began to drip from the ceiling. Despite how cold it was due to all the ice and Lyon's magic, it was quickly getting hot. Natsu could feel his skin crawl in a particular way… This hadn't happened for years. " **You are a dead man.** " Lyon raised an eyebrow. Black rage took over Natsu's heart. _It's building up._ As usual, when he reached this stage, he didn't care at all. All he cared about was utterly destroying his target.

Every boiling emotion vanished as a smiling face came to mind. He had to give a sad smile. Her face would always stop any negative emotions building up. _My backup works well_. He had laid a spell on himself. Whenever he got too enraged, her face would appear in his mind's eye.

Natsu took a deep breath and focused on what was necessary: Stopping Lyon. The ice on one wall cracked. Then it shattered, melting in the still hot air.

"What the…?" Natsu started. Gray stood there, still bandaged. "Yo."

"Leave him to me," Gray said, walking between them. "It's time to settle things once and for all."

"You lost to him at full strength," Natsu responded quietly. "What makes you think that you can defeat him now?"

"Trust me," he said. "I can defeat him. I'm ready to end this now."

"You seem rather confident," Lyon observed.

"You were right, Lyon. Ur died because of me." Lyon frowned. "But you're no better. You've threatened my comrades, brought harm to the villagers, and now you're trying to destroy what Ur gave her life to create. It's time we accept our punishments. Together." Lyon's eyes widened.

"That stance… Iced Shell?!" Natsu frowned, and then his eyes widened as all the memories concerning Iced Shell flooded his mind. He had studied Ice spells for a year once, and the Iced Shell had fascinated him.

"Gray… What are you doing?" he demanded.

"Are you insane?!" Lyon shouted. "You wouldn't dare!"

"If you want to live, change the villagers to the original forms right now! And then leave this island and never return!" A blue-white magic circle appeared below him. "This is your last chance."

"I see," Lyon smirked. "So you're using that spell as a bluff. What nonsense." Gray's eyes narrowed as he took the spell to the next stage. Natsu's heavy robes flapped as the magic swirled the air.

"No, I'm not," Gray said. "I'm serious."

"You'll die!" he shouted. He tried to use magic against Gray, but it backfired and threw him back.

"Are you out of your mind?" Natsu roared. "Do you want death that badly?!"

"All these years, I've lied to myself." His bandages were coming loose. "I didn't want to admit that Ur died because of me. But she did. And it's time I took responsibility for it! So I will, here and now! I'm not afraid to die if that's what it takes!"

"Stop this now!" Lyon commanded.

"What's it gonna be, Lyon?" Gray asked. "Are we gonna die? Or are we gonna live? It's up to you!"

"You wouldn't! You're not brave enough to give your life away! You're nothing but a coward!" Natsu's eyes widened in alarm as cracks began to form on Gray's skin.

"Just watch me," Gray said as the light grew more intense.

"Don't do it!" Natsu shouted. He was _not_ going to let Gray throw away his life like this. _Erza… Lucy… Everyone in Fairy Tail… The rest is up to you… I don't want to leave you… but my time is up…_

" **Iced She-** " Natsu punched Gray.

"Idiot," he muttered.

"Natsu!" he snapped.

"You really think I'm going to let you throw away your life that easily?" Natsu demanded.

"I told you, I can take care of him myself! I've to settle things with him! I'm ready to die if I need to!"

"And how, exactly, is dying going to settle it?" Natsu asked. "It sounds like you're running away to me." Gray's eyes widened. Then the building began to rumble. "What's going on?"

* * *

Lucy was convinced that Happy was not all there. He was attacking by shoving obscene amounts of seafood in people's mouths.

"Don't let them scare you!" the cultists' leader shouted. "We must strike down all who oppose the Cold Emperor!" The others cheered.

* * *

Zalty chuckled to himself. His magic slowly fixed the crushed pillars. Everything was rumbling.

* * *

"What's that sound?" Erza asked. Lucy looked around and gasped when she saw that the temple had righted itself.

"Erza, look!"

"The ruins aren't tilted anymore!" Happy exclaimed.

* * *

Natsu groaned in annoyance. "I don't know how they did it, but someone reversed my work! Man, this is annoying."

"This is bad," Gray muttered. "Now the moon light can reach Deliora."

"Sorry to interrupt," Zalty said, trotting in.

"Zalty," Lyon said. "You did this?"

"Indeed I did, sir. The moon will be out soon, so I took the liberty of returning things to normal."

"That weirdo fixed the temple?" Gray asked.

"And after I went to all that trouble to mess it up," Natsu complained. "How did you fix it so quickly?" The man turned, stared, then laughed. "Tell me how you did it!"

"Now, then. I must be off to commence the Moon Drip ceremony."

"Hey!" Natsu shouted, chasing after him. "Gray, you handle Ice Butt over there. I'll take care of the masked dude. It'll just be pathetic if you lose again." Gray's eyes widened in surprise. "Now answer me, you…" Gray and Lyon listened to the trail of expletives until the room fell silent.

"My, my," Lyon tsked. "Such a boisterous lot you are."

"Tell me something," Gray said. "Had you counted on Natsu stopping me when I was about to use Iced Shell earlier?"

"No," he admitted. "I thought that he would be content to let another person die."

"So you were going to stand there and take it?" he asked. He decided to ignore the latter comment.

"Exactly. But someone would come to rescue me. You, on the other hand, would be finished for good."

"I should have known."

"It certainly would be inconvenient to be encased in ice, but my allies are as devoted to my cause as I am. And as long we're on this island, I could use Moon Drip to melt the ice."

"That was careless of me. That makes Iced Shell useless here."

"Even so, you wish to settle things with me once and for all? Don't fool yourself; you could never -"

"Enough," Gray said.

"What?"

"Just forget about Deliora."

"What kind of nonsense is this? First a bluff, and now an attempt at persuasion. Does your guild have a dentist that removes your fangs?"

* * *

Porlyusica was sorting her supplies when she felt a twinge. _Someone's insulting me._

* * *

 **Hehe... Am I the only one who found the last part funny? Oh well. Review!**


	24. Galuna Island Arc: Moon Drip

**Sorry I haven't updated. School started, and I got caught up. Have fun with this chapter!**

* * *

"Lyon, there's something I haven't told you."

"What is it?" Lyon spat.

"Ur is still alive!" The other Ice wizard's eyes widened. "The Iced Shell doesn't actually kill its caster. It uses their body to form the barrier. The ice keeping Deliora sealed away, which you've been trying to melt, is actually Master Ur! She isn't dead! She lives on as ice. I'm sorry that I never told you before. Ur had me promise her."

"Of course," Lyon said quietly.

"So please, Lyon! Stop this!" He gasped as Lyon pressed his hand to Gray's gut and sent a burst of magic through. An ice tiger stained with Gray's blood erupted out of his back. He fell to his knees, the remains of the ice supporting him.

"You idiot," he said loftily. "I know all about that pathetic nonsense." He had a cruel smile on his face. "That is no longer Ur. It's nothing but a chunk of ice now."

"You…" Gray whispered weakly. "Knew…?!" He struggled to stand, but was too weak.

"Knowing is one thing, believing is another. And if you truly believe Ur is alive in there, you're an even greater fool than I thought." Gray gave him a furious glare.

"You're doing this… e-even though you knew…?!"

"And what of it?" he asked, as Gray stood, holding his hand to his bleeding gut. He still managed to send Lyon across the room with a single punch. "Impossible! How are you able to move after such an injury?!"

"I've had enough!" he snarled. "I wanted to save you… but I've had enough!"

"You want the title of star pupil yourself?" Lyon asked, standing. "Well, I'm sorry, but I have to fight against Deliora soon. And I'd rather not waste my magic energy on _you_." Gray lifted a fist.

"Then we'll just have to use our fists!" Lyon smirked.

"You want me to fight you without using magic? That's fine by me." Gray rushed in only to be punched in the gut. "Go for your opponent's weaknesses in a fight. That's what Ur taught us."

"You have no right to speak her name!" Gray snarled. He tried to hit Lyon again, but was rewarded with a knee in the gut.

* * *

"Get back here!" Natsu roared. He badly wanted to use stuff that he really shouldn't be using, but something told him not to. "How did you do it?!" It really ticked him off that he didn't know something. Zalty suddenly stopped and stretched his hand at the ceiling. A silver magic circle appeared. Natsu skidded to a stop. It was a good thing that he did; part of the ceiling came down. His eyes narrowed. _A perfect circle… That was no coincidence… But how did he do it?_ To his surprise, the crumbled stone restored itself perfectly.

"There you have it," Zalty smirked. "That's how I fixed the temple after you so rudely tilted it."

"To prevent you from rudely hurting the villagers further. But nevermind that, how the heck did you learn the Arc of Time?"

"Oh, so you know this spell?"

"It's a Lost magic, similar to my Dragon Slayer magic," Natsu said quietly. "Magic erased from history, due to its strength and the the severity of its side effects. The Arc of Time is the manipulation of the time of non-sentient things. I've encountered it before."

"How intriguing." Saying that, he vanished.

"What the- Get back here! Man, when I get to him, I'm gonna kick his -" He continued muttering.

* * *

Gray was getting beaten up by Lyon. "What's the matter?" he taunted. "Weren't you going to settle the score with your fists?" He tried punching the other man again, but got kicked into the wall. Gray was breathing heavily as a memory entered his mind.

"Come to think of it, there's someone I used to fight like this long ago…"

"This is the end!" Lyon roared. Gray tried to fight back, only to be smashed into the wall again.

 _Get up!_

 _Get up!_

 _Natsu,_ he thought.

* * *

Gray was breathing heavily, staring at the sky. "Had enough?" Natsu asked in a bored tone. "Or are you going to go along this path of suicide?" Erza and the master were both watching. Gray struggled to his feet. "Suicide it is, then." He was standing on wobbling feet. Natsu watched him for a moment. Gray couldn't help but wonder what was going on in his head. If he could see the other boy's face, that would be helpful, but he couldn't. Natsu wore that stupid mask all of the time. He kicked Gray in the face. He found himself staring at the sky again. "You lose."

"Hold it," Gray growled. He was _not_ going to let this little upstart beat him. "We're nowhere near finished here."

"Maybe I kicked you in the head too much," Natsu pondered. "But if that's the way you want it…" Gray charged once again as Natsu settled into a battle stance.

* * *

Gray wasn't the only who was breathing heavily. "That settles it," Lyon panted. "You were no match for me after all." He started to leave, but Gray stopped him.

"Hold on," he gasped. He stood. "This fight's not over yet."

"I should have killed you when I had the chance!" Lyon shouted. They both punched each other, but Gray came out the victor. throwing Lyon into the wall.

"You're going to have to step up your game if you want to beat me!" As they exchanged blows, he shouted, "I won't give up against Natsu, and I won't give up against you! I'm not gonna lose, you hear me?"

* * *

Natsu and Gray kept hitting each other. Natsu had voiced his surprise that the latter was still fighting, but took his blows with an odd grace. A particular blow from Gray dislodged the visor he always wore, and for a moment he could see eyes. They were brown, but very hard and determined. They were not a child's eyes.

"I don't lose," Natsu growled as he relocated his visor.

"You're gonna have to!" Gray shouted. "Cause I'm gonna win!" Natsu gave him a roundhouse kick to the jaw.

"I told you," Natsu said, reaching under his mask. When his glove came out again, it was stained crimson. "I don't lose."

"And I told you," Gray panted, standing again. "I'm gonna win."

"Why do you persist in challenging me?" he asked. "I always put you in the infirmary."

"Because one day I'll beat you," Gray replied. "And I'll be better."

* * *

Gray and Lyon kept beating at each other. "I won't lose!" he shouted. "You're going down!"

"You're starting to annoy me!"

* * *

Natsu punched him in the mouth hard. Gray collapsed and couldn't find the strength to stand up again. To his pleasure, though, Natsu crouched, panting a little. "I'm really out of shape if that kid can wear me out like this," Natsu muttered. Gray wasn't sure why, but something about the blue sky ticked him off.

* * *

"Lucy," Erza said. "Have you noticed it?"

"Yeah. There are so many of them, yet their magic seems kinda weak."

"Exactly," Erza replied. "It appears there are only five of so genuine wizards."

"Aw, man, guess that means I'm gonna have to go easy on them," Happy said.

"Just keep telling yourself that," Lucy sighed.

"Do you think you can handle this one" Erza asked.

"Leave it to me!" she grinned. " **Open, Gate of the Giant Crab: Cancer!** " Erza stared.

"We've met before, haven't we?" Cancer knelt and offered her flowers.

"Indeed we have," he said. "And as always, I am always at your service. Miss."

"I thought you always said 'baby'!" Lucy shrieked. "What's with 'miss'?! And aren't you supposed to be at _my_ service?!"

"Someone's jealous," Happy observed.

"Take them down!" Lucy ordered. "But don't kill them; just rough them up a little, ok?"

"Alright, baby," Cancer said, flashing his scissors.

* * *

Lyon was leaning heavily on the ice wall he had created. "Me, lowered to my knees by the mere likes of you?! I won't stand for it!" _You can barely stand period._

"Then bring it on," Gray said. Lyon glared at him.

" **Ice Make: Snow Dragon!** " It caught Gray in its jaws, and threw him across the room.

"I thought we agreed not to use magic," he panted. "You broke your promise!"

"Don't be such a sore loser! This duel was pointless from the start! Deliora will be revived either way!" Lyon had an insane look in his eyes. "Alas, it's far too late to stop me now!"

"I won't stop trying!" Gray snarled, standing.

"Try all you want! But Zalty is preparing to start the Moon Drip ceremony as we speak." He threw off his cloak." Gray smirked.

"You really underestimate Natsu. He won't let him." Lyon frowned. "Natsu was made S-class the day after he joined. He was eleven. You really think he's gonna let him do that?"

* * *

Zalty chuckled as he looked at Deliora. "At long last," he said.

"Found you," Natsu said. He almost hit the masked freak - the random part of his brain pointed out that they were the same in that respect - but he vanished and reappeared on a ledge above him.

"How did you manage to find me?" Zalty asked in a curious voice.

"I'm a Dragon Slayer, remember? I just followed my nose. By the way, why do you smell like a girl? You got the smell of perfume all over you." Zalty laughed.

"I would love to stay and chat, but I really must revive Deliora." Natsu chuckled.

"Forget about it. It's not happening."

"Really? And why is that, pray tell?"

"One," Natsu said, holding up a finger. "Gray will defeat Lyon. Two, I will defeat you."

"We'll just have to see about that." _Remember, this guy, or girl, or whatever, has the Arc of Time. If I'm right, and he's the mastermind behind all of this, then he's not someone I want to mess with._ A purple glow caught his eye. _Moonlight?! But how? Who's performing the ceremony?_

"The Moon Drip is weak when performed by only one person, but we have already gathered enough moonlight." Natsu watched in horror as water streamed down from the top. "We just need to give it a little nudge to finish it. Like this." A good chunk of ice vanished, and water began pouring down faster.

"Curses," Natsu muttered. "It melting faster than before. I'd better stop that guy fast!" Zalty merely smirked and brought part of the roof down in front of the entrance.

"Sorry, but you're not going anywhere." Natsu growled deeply. This guy was beginning to tick him off. "Looks like chasing after me was a big mistake, Salamander." _Crap, this guy's right. I should have gone to the top to prevent anyone from performing the ceremony._ "Better luck next time."

* * *

 **It's a good thing Zalty is who he is, because otherwise he would be very very dead. Review please!**


	25. Galuna Island Arc: Release

**I'm finally done writing this arc. Am I the only one thoroughly sick of this arc? Yes? No? Ok, I'll shut up now.**

* * *

"Nice work," Erza observed. "Let's get moving."

"Right," Lucy said.

"No!" the leader of the cultists, an old woman, cried. "W-Wait! We won't let you interfere with the Cold Emperor." She was being supported by a younger cultist.

"Those headpieces," Erza said softly. "You people are from Brago, aren't you? And you want revenge."

* * *

Zalty laughed maniacally, but he stopped he saw what Natsu was doing. He narrowly avoided his flaming punch.

"Are you sure that's wise?" he asked. "Using fire magic now will only accelerate Deliora's thawing."

"Deliora's being revived whether I like it or not," Natsu grimaced. "So I'm just going to have to use you as a warm-up!" He kicked at Zalty. "Besides, if it could be melted by fire magic, you wouldn't have gone through all of the trouble to make a Moon Drip. Bluff all you want, but I'm taking you and Deliora down!"

"I must say, I'm surprised that you are as fierce as you look." The ground rumbled. Most of the excess ice had disappeared.

* * *

"I got a bad feeling that ain't Natsu," Gray muttered as the ruins rumbled.

"The ceremony is finally underway!" Lyon grinned. "Deliora's ice is beginning to melt." _Ur…_ "It looks like this is the end. None of you were able to stop it." Lyon held his arm up as he prepared his magic. "For so long I've waited for this! For ten years, I gathered allies and knowledge and eventually learned of this island. Galuna, the island that collects moonlight…" Ice birds attacked Gray. "We hauled Deliora here from Brago. That was three years ago!"

"You've been wasting time on this stupid plan for three years?" Gray shouted as he held up his ice shield against the birds."

"'Stupid'?!" Lyon shouted. Magic filled the air around him. "You've spent the last ten years leading a life of debauchery in a guild! How dare you say that?!" Gray dodged another bird.

"Because I put my faith in Ur's words!"

 _"In the western countries, there are lots of wizards more powerful than me."_

"So I went west, and eventually made it to Fairy Tail! And she was right! The guild was so full of powerful wizards that I couldn't believe it!"

"I don't think I can help you," Makarov had said when Gray asked him about the Iced Shell. "The Iced Shell is based on the will of its caster. And because that will is absolute, no third party can melt the ice, no matter what magic they use."

"No way!" he protested. "You're telling me that even with all the strong wizards you got, you can't break the spell?!"

"Now that I think about it, there may be a way," Makarov brooded. Gray's entire face lit up. "On second thought, that's not a good idea." His face fell. "If you were to melt the ice, it would be the same as killing this Ur of yours."

* * *

"Looking back now," Gray told Lyon, "he must have been thinking of Moon Drip. I'm filled with disappointment when I think about my senior basically trying to kill Ur!"

"Say what you will; I've lived my life for this day. Our master is long dead. How can her students possibly surpass her now?! Think, Gray!" Ice formed around his head. "Deliora! I will surpass our master by slaying Deliora, the one thing she couldn't!"

"Your ambitious spirit is commendable!" Gray shouted. "But you haven't noticed that you strayed from the path at some point!" He shattered the ice with a sword he created. "You think someone who's been completely blinded can outclass Ur?! You're nowhere even close to surpassing her! Go start all over again!" He cut Lyon in half, but it was merely an ice clone.

"Fooled you, didn't I? **Ice Make: Snow Tiger!** " Gray jumped high above it.

" **Ice Make: Prison!** You see this, Lyon? This is what you are!"

"What?!"

"A beast in a cage lashing out at a world he barely knows!"

"Foolishness! I'll make quick word of your Maker magic!" The tiger tried in vain to break out.

"'Single handed Maker magic has poor balance. Your creations will let you down when you need them the most.' Sound familiar? **Ice Cannon!** " Lyon shouted in horror. "Ur taught us that, remember?" Lyon collapsed, unconscious. Gray watched for a moment, then felt the full effects of his pain. "I should've sealed this wound up first," he muttered, covering it with ice. The temple shook as some _thing_ roared in fury.

* * *

Lucy and Happy cried out in pain as the roar echoed around the island. "What is that sound?!" Erza shouted.

* * *

Natsu's scream of pain was lost in the roar. He collapsed, holding his ears. The ice around Deliora's face cracked as a red glow appeared in its eyes. _No. Not now!_ The ice shattered as the demon jerked its head up.

"Yes! It's free!" Zalty cheered. Deliora roared again. Its arms were free as well.

* * *

"That noise," Gray whispered. _Deliora._ Flashes of his past rushed through his mind. _I can never forget that sound._

"Deliora," Lyon said softly, eyes wide open. _They did it… They actually revived it. There's only one thing I can do now...Iced Shell!_

* * *

Deliora roared. Natsu watched it with smoldering rage. His eyes widened at the feel. _Is that even possible?_ "At last! At last the time has come!" Zalty laughed.

* * *

"What the heck was that noise?!" Lucy said. "It sounded like some kind of monster!"

"It was probably just your stomach!" Happy offered.

"You know, you're not half as funny as you think you are."

"Do you think that sound might have been Deliora?" Erza asked.

"Oh, no," Lucy gasped. "You mean… they brought it back to life?!" Happy gasped.

"See that purple light! It's the Moon Drip!"

"It must be," Erza whispered as Deliora roared again.

"You need to eat something, Lucy."

"And you need to shut up!"

"It sounds like Deliora, but the Moon Drip ceremony is still underway," Erza said. "In other words, Deliora's revival isn't yet complete! Come!"

"Deliora's below us!" Lucy shouted after her.

"We can still stop it if we halt the ceremony! Hurry!"

* * *

"I'm wasting my time on you!" Natsu growled. "I'm going to finish you right now!" A ball smashed into his head. His helmet gave a clear peal like a bell. "Ow...:"

"I believe I'll do just the same, dear Salamander." _Dear?_ Natsu sat up, scowling.

"Bring it!" The orb hurtled toward him. He shattered it easily. Unfortunately, it healed itself like nothing happened. His scowl deepened. _Curse the Arc of Time._ It slammed into his gut. His eyes widened as he heard his armor crack. _Impossible! This armor doesn't break!_

"I have the ability to control an object's flow of time," Zalty smirked. "Surely you know this?"

"Yeah, I know," he grunted. "It means you can take the crystal back in time before it was broken. Lost Magic certainly has its perks, doesn't it?"

"Would you like to see what happens when I send the crystal into its future?" _Uh-oh._ The ball hit him over and over again. He barely had time to react. At last, he stood panting. _So many cracks in my armor… It'll be practically useless at this rate._ He shattered it again, but it just healed itself again. "Your fire won't help you!" He was prepared to punch it, but it froze inches away from his flaming fist. He could see his reflection in it.

"Of course," he muttered. "He can stop time for it as well. There is a drawback for the Arc, though. It doesn't work on people."

"True, true. Since Ur turned herself into the ice that encased Deliora, I can't turn back time for it. That's why we're using the Moon Drip."

"Good plan, but what's your motive? You're going through all this trouble to revive it, just so Lyon can defeat it. Why? What do you stand to gain?"

"I wouldn't know about the others. I joined them only recently, you see."

"That wasn't what I asked. What do you stand to gain?"

"You certainly know how to get to the point. The Cold Emperor has no chance of defeating Deliora."

"I see. So you plan on defeating it?"

"Don't be ridiculous! I want to control the demon." Natsu frowned.

"You really think Deliora will listen to you?"

"There are spells that give the caster the power to control immortal beasts like Deliora. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have such tremendous power at your fingertips?!"

"You're pathetic. Asking was a waste. You think just having a monster's going to make you tough? That's just stupid." Zalty laughed.

"I suppose you are too young to understand right now, but one day, you'll realize how important it is to have power!"

"I already know," Natsu said quietly. "The people I loved most are dead because I didn't have the power to protect them. I know that almost everybody has someone who cares deeply about them. And I won't let you make them feel the same pain that I felt! I'll use my own power to take you down, thank you very much!"

"Overconfidence shall be your downfall!" Zalty shouted as Natsu lit his hands on fire. "You will fall, exactly like the ceiling above you!" _It might be a good idea to not announce your intentions to your enemies, moron._ But the area of the falling ceiling was bigger than he anticipated.

"I've had enough of you and your buddies screwing things up for the people on this island. I think it's high time I put a stop to it!"

"You don't seriously believe you can stop my Arc of Time with your puny flames, do you?"

"I don't give a flying crap about you or your magic! Scram!" Natsu destroyed the multiple orbs with a single flaming punch. "I may not be able to control time in the way you do, strictly speaking, but I can control the future! In just a few seconds, I'm going to beat you senseless!" He punched Zalty hard in the face, sending him flying. He crashed into one of the rocks below. _That's what I call going out with a bang_ , he chuckled to himself. _I win._

* * *

Toby went flying with a single swipe from Erza's sword. "Awesome!" Lucy said. "The Moon Drip should stop now." She had barely finished when it stopped.

"You mean," Happy said, "this guy was doing it all by himself?" Toby rolled over.

"Too late! The ceremony's complete!" Erza's eyes widened as a green beam shot up from where the Moon Drip was. They heard Deliora roar once again.

* * *

Natsu's robes flapped as Deliora roared in triumph. _No! My armor is all cracked from Zalty's attacks… I may have to use them in order to defeat it._ Gray stared at the monster from his childhood. He crouched down and scooped up a handful of the melted ice that had been his teacher. The water streamed out of his hand.

"Ur…"

"What are you doing here?" Natsu demanded. "Has Lyon been taken out?"

"Yeah…"

"I don't think I can take it out by myself. I took a beating from that Zalty dude. You gonna help?" They both turned to see Lyon weakly pulling himself toward Deliora.

"Neither of you," he wheezed, "is capable enough…"

"Is he crazy?" Natsu demanded, taking in the manic look in his eyes. "You can't even stand! What makes you think you can kill a demon that countless warriors have failed to kill?"

"But I…" he continued, ignoring Natsu, " _I_ will defeat it!"

"Lyon," Gray muttered.

"I'm going to surpass Ur," Lyon panted. "Finally…" He started laughing to himself. _This guy's nuts_ , Natsu decided.

"You're the least capable person in this room," Natsu sighed. "Now get out of the way." Deliora roared again, reminding them of his presence.

"At last… we meet… Deliora!"

 _"You're looking for the most powerful wizard?" the man grunted. "Well, I'd say Ur's gotta be the strongest one around here." Lyon's eyes widened with delight. "She's been holed up in the mountains since she lost her daughter a few years ago. But I swear, I've never met another wizard as skilled as she is."_

 _"Wow," Lyon said. "Ur… Do you think she'd agree to teach me?!"_

"She was strong," Lyon said as he stood on shaky legs. "But still not strong enough to kill that demon. I'm going to do the one thing Ur never could!"

 _"It's bad enough that you took that punk in," Lyon raged to Ur, "but you're teaching him magic too?!"_

 _"He told me he wanted to learn," Ur sighed, putting her newspaper down. "Is that a problem?"_

 _"You don't need him!" he protested. "You've already got me to take the place of your daughter!" Ur's eyes snapped open with anger. She slapped him hard. Lyon stared at her in shock. She had never hit him before._

 _"Lyon," she said softly, kneeling in front of him. Her voice was tight with emotion. "Let's get something straight. I've never once thought of you as a replacement for my daughter." She cupped his face in her hands and smiled. "You are who you are." Ur pressed her forehead against his. "My dear pupil."_

"Finally… my dream… will be… fulfilled!" Gray gave him a quick chop to neck neck, knocking him out.

"You've caused enough trouble," he growled. "I'll clean up the mess you've made."

"Wait," Natsu said. "Let me try to defeat it. If I fail, then cast the Iced Shell. Not before." Gray hesitated, then nodded. "Get Lyon out of here. Things are going to get ugly.".

* * *

Natsu watched Deliora. The demon huffed impatiently. _It's been a long time._ "Sertave drearien ybuwyn astauand mizuxe," Natsu said quietly. Deliora growled. Very few people knew of the demon tongue. Of that group, only a handful knew any words, and only a fraction of that group could speak it. Natsu was the only one who could speak it fluently. "Ferirama gyosyog waratel mizule lazap." Deliora snarled at him. _You don't like that, do you?_ The demon's response was to send his fist at him. _Well, this is annoying._ Natsu lit his fist on fire and sent it at the demon.

"You're going to have to do better than that to take me down!" he shouted. Their fists connected. To his surprise, a crack appeared in Deliora's wrist. _What?_ The crack spread, covering the demon's body. Green light poured from the cracks. _I didn't do that._ Deliora slowly crumbled into dust.

"What did you do?" Gray asked in awe. Natsu spun angrily.

"What are you doing?" he demanded. "I thought I told you to get out of here!"

"I dropped Lyon off and came back. You said you wanted help earlier." Natsu bit his lip. He did say that. _Crap._

"Deliora was already dead…" Natsu said softly. Then he began laughing. "Your teacher must have been one hell of a woman!" The melted ice poured out of openings in the cavern. "I would have been honored to meet her," Natsu added in a more serious tone. "For ten years, she's been sapping away its life… What we just saw; what I fought… was just its final moments." Natsu stooped down and filled a small vial with the water. "Here. You may want this before it all goes into the ocean." Gray just stood there, shocked. Ur's voice rang through his head.

 _I freed you from the darkness, Gray. I've sealed it away forever!_ Tears streamed down his face. "You've saved my life again," he whispered. "Thank you, Ur."

* * *

Natsu looked at the village with a raised eyebrow. _Wasn't this place destroyed?_ The villagers were all chatting excitedly.

"I'm very confused," Natsu sighed. "Didn't the village get destroyed?"

"I thought it did…" Lucy said. Thing got weirder when Erza agreed to destroy the moon with a straight face. Did it have something to do with the fact that Natsu had been whispering to her earlier? Who knew?

"Let me make sure I have all of my facts straight," Erza said after all the villagers had been gathered. "The first time everybody in the village took on these demonic forms was when the moon tun purple, correct?"

"Yes," Moka said. "During the day, we're fine, but when the moon comes out, we transform into what you see now."

"And the moon first turned purple about three years ago?"

"Has it really been that long?" one of the villagers muttered.

"Yeah…" another one said. Natsu rolled his eyes. Erza was taking her sweet time with this.

"We've learned that the Moon Drip ceremony has been performed on this island every night for the last three years," Erza continued, pacing. "And each night, it produced a beam of light so brilliant that you couldn't possibly have missed it." Then she stepped onto the pitfall trap. Everyone sweatdropped.

"Did she seriously fall for that?" Natsu said.

"You're punny," Happy giggled.

"That was stupid. The pun wasn't intended."

"Even my pitfall trap is back," Lucy pondered.

"She shrieked… like a girl…" Gray muttered. "And it was cute…"

"In case you haven't noticed, she is a girl, Popsicle."

"I am so going to be dead meat when she gets out!" Lucy wailed. Erza climbed out of the pit and continued like nothing happened.

"Seriously," she said. "Didn't you ever wonder where that light was coming from? It doesn't make sense. Why didn't you investigate?"

"We would have looked," Moka said, "but our village lore says that we must never go near those ruins…"

"But who cares about village lore when your own people are dying?" Lucy asked. "You obviously knew there was a problem because you contacted the magic guilds."

"Well…" Moka said nervously. Natsu sighed as Erza looked at them sternly.

"Mind telling us the truth?" Natsu said.

"To be honest," Moka replied, "we don't really understand it ourselves. Honestly, we did try to investigate the ruins on many occasions. We took up weapons we were unaccustomed to, I readied my sideburns-" Natsu sweat dropped - "and we headed for the ruins many times. But we could never get near it. We'd get close enough so we could see it through the trees, only to find ourselves back at the village gate. We can't get near those ruins…"

"But…" Lucy stammered, "how's that possible? I-It doesn't make sense."

"We got into the temple just fine," Gray mused. "That's weird."

"We didn't say anything because we didn't think you'd believe us," one of the villagers said.

"But it's the truth!" another exclaimed. "We tried to go to the ruins many times!"

"But not even one villager managed to make it there!" Natsu nodded.

"That confirms it. Erza, if I may speak with you for a moment." He pulled the requip wizard to the side, murmuring softly to her. She nodded sharply in response. Both S-class mages began walking to the highest point in the village. Erza's normal armor vanished, leaving her in her normal clothes. It in turn was replaced by thick yellow armor - her The Giant's Armor. She announced, to everyone but Natsu's shock that they were going to destroy the moon. The villagers reacted with surprise and joy.

Erza pulled an impressive spear from the pocket universe in which she kept her weapons. At the top of the tower, she hefted it, aiming carefully.

"Ready?" Natsu asked softly.

"On three," Erza affirmed. "One… Two… Three!" Right as she threw it, Natsu gave it a flaming punch. The spear glowed with magic as it launched toward the moon. Natsu smirked underneath his helmet. It became a spark in the sky, then vanished. Everyone was holding their breath in anticipation. Then the moon cracked. The cracks spread until the covered the entire surface of the moon. To the villagers' shock, however, they spread beyond the moon, making it appear as though the night sky itself was breaking. The sky shattered, showing the normal moon. Everyone gasped.

"It wasn't the moon that shattered," Lucy whispered. "It was the sky?"

"What the heck is going on?" Gray demanded. Natsu appeared behind them.

"This island was covered by a membrane of evil energy because of the Moon Drip," he explained. "It produced something like a gas, which crystallized in the air above the island. It's why the moon was purple here, but nowhere else." Gray smacked him on the shoulder.

"You're smarter than you look, Flamebrain!" he laughed.

"Don't touch me." All of the villagers began to glow.

"Now they'll be normal again!" Lucy smiled. But they didn't.

"What's wrong now?" Gray asked. "Why aren't they changing back?"

"That's because these are their normal forms," Natsu sighed, pressing his hand to his face. "The Moon Drip doesn't affect bodies; it affects the minds. Specifically, memories. As a result, they thought they were humans who turned into demons at night."

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah, they're actually demons." Natsu explained how the demon villagers had the ability to transform into humans.

"Hold on," Lucy said, processing the information. "Why weren't Lyon and the others affected?"

"Because they're human," Natsu replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "It was kind of obvious once I heard that they couldn't go near the temple. Sacred light doesn't mix well with creatures of darkness."

"You're quite the detective," Bobo said. Natsu nearly jumped out of his skin. "Thanks, wizard!"

"So you aren't dead," Natsu said. The villagers reacted with shock and joy to see Bobo.

"On the boat," Gray said. "You just vanished."

"All demons have wings," Natsu said. "At least, most do." Bobo gave Natsu an odd look, but didn't say anything. All the demons burst into the sky.

"Yup," Erza said. "Definitely demons."

"If you look hard enough," Natsu said, with a strange note in his voice, "even the darkest creatures can seem like angels. Even they can have good in them."

* * *

Natsu declined the offer to join them for the feast afterwards, but the offer of a basin of fire made him change his mind, at least for a while. He sucked the fire up through his helmet. Several demons wouldn't let him get away after that though, and he was forced to - _gasp_ \- socialize. He couldn't help but laugh at Gray's distress as he was fangirled over by demon ladies. Eventually, he managed to escape. Natsu watched the ocean, allowing the sound of the waves to soothe his jangled nerves.

 _Two demons awakened in less than a month… This isn't good. And there are rumors - faint, but still there - of Tartaros stirring in the depths._ He sighed. _What do I do, Kokino? How do I stop this?_

 _How do I save the world?_

* * *

 **And we have another mystery person! I'm curious to hear your theories on who they are. Oh... remember the episode when everyone gets their bodies switched? What do you get when you cross it with this fanfiction? The funniest chapter to exist in this fanfiction! I 'm so doing it. Hehe... Review please!**


	26. Switcheroo: The Beginning

**Ok, I have a few things to say. One: Am I the only one who's looking forward to tomorrow's chapter? Because it's going to be really funny. Two: Just wanted to let you guys know that Fuyu and Kokino are NOT the same person. Three: To the guest who sent me the crude insulting message: Chase Conbolt is an OC that I created for certain reasons. I'm am fully aware in the anime, Macao taught Natsu Purple Flare. However, due to reasons that have not been revealed yet, Chase is the one who teaches him the spell. I did not forget his name.**

 **Thanks for listening to my rambles. Keep calm, and read on!**

* * *

Natsu declined the reward at first, but agreed after they insisted to take two million instead of seven million. Lucy got her key as well. When Gray asked where his share was, Natsu responded with a smirk in his voice that Gray wasn't supposed to be on the job anyway, so he didn't get any.

To say that Natsu was startled when he saw the pirate ship was a bit of an understatement. To say that he was dreading the voyage back to Hargeon was a major understatement. He was dreading it with every inch of his being.

* * *

"It's quite a shame about Deliora," Ultear said.

"Yes," Siegrain replied. "But it couldn't be helped. I never would've imagined that he was already dead." He floated his book up to the shelf. "C'est la vie. It's a relatively minor set back. I'll be more thorough next time."

"Please forgive me, Siegrain sir," the busty woman said. "I had no idea that wench's magic was that powerful."

"You shouldn't speak about her that way," Siegrain playfully scolded. "Ultear… the tears of Ur. You shouldn't cause her to shed any more. I hold great respect for your mother. If she were alive, she would undoubtedly be one of the Ten Wizard Saints."

"You put too much value in her," Ultear snapped. "My mother was a wretched woman so obsessed with the ways of magic that my father abandoned her." Siegrain shrugged.

"They say the greater the loss, the stronger one becomes."

"I highly doubt my mother ever thought I was a 'great loss'."

"You never know. Perhaps she raised young pupils out of a lingering attachment to you-" Ultear placed her finger on his lips.

"Could we please change the subject? We should move to the next stage now." Siegrain gave her an odd look.

"Ultear, your face. What happened?" He was trying hard not to laugh at her swelling cheek.

"That idiot Natsu punched me!" she panicked. Siegrain gave up trying to hold his laughter in.

"That certainly is a delayed reaction," he chuckled. "Come to think of it, how was it fighting Natsu?"

"I never had to use more than half of my power against him, though I believe that he was holding back a great power as well. And he's getting much, much stronger with every passing day."

"I'm not surprised," Siegrain said. "He is Igneel's son. I've been doing some research… He's definitely hiding something. May he continue to burn for my dream…"

* * *

Natsu sneezed. "Are you feeling alright?" Erza asked. They had been discussing what to do with Gray and Lucy, as the guild thought that they had stolen the request.

"I'm fine," he waved it off, wiping the inside of his visor.

"Maybe someone's talking about you," Happy teased.

"Go away, you stupid cat," he muttered. "Anyway, do you think the master will make them do _that_?" Gray froze in horror.

"Just kill me now!" he said. "I don't think I could live through that again! Natsu, not even you could be so cruel!"

"I think I know why Mira enjoyed tormenting people so much when she was younger," Natsu chuckled. "Do you think he'll let us watch?"

"Perhaps," Erza said with amusement. "When should we bail them out, though?" She grabbed Gray, who was trying to escape.

"How about half way through?" he suggested.

"Exactly what I was thinking."

"NO!" Gray howled. "Anything but that!"

"Will someone please tell me what that is?" Lucy shouted. Natsu just barked out a laugh and kept walking.

"Is the master here?!" Erza demanded. Gray was cowering in her hand, tied up and gagged. Lucy had received similar treatment to keep them from blabbing. Natsu put Happy on Lucy's head. The cat hadn't escaped either.

"Finally back from your island getaway?" Mira asked. "How was it? Did you have fun?"

"It was work, not a vacation, what's-your-name," Natsu said. _And he's forgotten her name again_ , Lucy sighed mentally.

"Where is the master?" Erza asked.

"He left yesterday for some sort of council meeting," Macao explained. "He's been gone since yesterday." Gray, Lucy, and Happy sighed in relief.

"When is the old man getting back?" Natsu asked.

"Soon, I think," Mira said. While no one but the gagged victims were looking, Natsu and Erza shared a mischievous look.

"This is one creepy looking job request," Natsu said, scaring off Nab again.

"You guys are back," Loke said. "What's up?" Gray spoke through his gag as best he could. Oddly, Loke appeared to understand him.

"I can't even read it," Natsu muttered. "And I can read a lot of stuff." Gray shouted something through the gag. "What was that, you stupid Ice Princess!" _How can Loke and Natsu understand him?_ Natsu pulled it off and walked over to a table, scaring off its occupants. Lucy gave him pleading eyes. He sighed. "If you don't ruin the prank, I'll let you out. Got it?" She nodded.

Natsu snapped his fingers and the ropes burned off. Lucy yelped as she brushed off the embers. He stared at the riddle. While he couldn't read the actual script, there was a modern transliteration. He read it a few times. _This doesn't make any sense._ He muttered it under his breath.

"'Ugo deru rasuchi boro kania'… What the heck does this mean?" Everyone around the table - Gray, Lucy, Loke, Happy, Erza, and himself - began to glow with a rainbow light. _I just activated a spell. Brilliant, Natsu. Just brilliant._

* * *

 **This is going to be so much fun! Note: I'll be messing with the names a bit so it'll make sense. e.g., Natsu/Loke is Natsu in Loke's body. Gray/Lucy is Gray in Lucy's body. Makes sense? If not, send me a PM and I'll clear it up some more. Hope you've enjoyed the chapter! Review please!**


	27. Switcheroo: The Middle

**Let the chaos begin! Oh, and by the way... I got about 1.5 thousand views yesterday. And almost nobody reviewed... Natsu is very disappointed in you. Oh well. Not my problem anymore.**

* * *

"'Ugo deru rasuchi boro kania'… What the heck does this mean?" Everyone around the table - Gray, Lucy, Loke, Happy, Erza, and himself - began to glow with a rainbow light. _I just activated a spell. Brilliant, Natsu. Just brilliant._

"That's just sad," Wakaba said. "They're so scared of the master's punishment they're actually sweating rainbows."

"That's enough booze for you…" Macao said.

Natsu's eyes snapped open. Why was he staring at the ceiling? Wasn't he just looking at the paper?

"I'm cold!" Gray complained.

"What!" Elfman exclaimed. "Ice wizards don't get cold, you big crybaby!"

"I'm serious, you guys! My insides are unusually cold!" Everybody stared in shock.

"What the - My chest feels really weird all of a sudden! Like it's heavy!" Lucy shouted. "It's hard on my back…"

"Are you feeling alright, Lucy?" Macao asked. "You're voice is deeper than normal."

"What are you talking about?" Gray said. "I-" He stopped in horror when he saw Lucy.

"I really don't remember hitting the ground," Loke complained. He pressed his hand to his face, and froze. "Whoever took my helmet off has hell to pay!" he roared, jumping to his feet.

"I thought I was the one on the floor," Natsu said. "Wait, why do I have a helmet on?!" He saw Lucy in horror and tried to make a run for it.

"What's your problem?" Lucy shouted. "You can't face me, Dragon Breath?! Huh? What's with my voice? Why do I sound like a girl?"

"I'm no doctor," Macao said, "but it's probably because you are a girl."

"What is all this commotion about?!" Happy demanded.

"Oh, wow!" Erza said. "Natsu, look! Where did he go?"

"What do you want, Tincan?" Loke snapped. "And where's my freaking helmet?!"

"I could be wrong," Erza said. "But I don't think I always had these." She grabbed her boobs, causing several nosebleeds. The look on Happy's face was furious. He kicked Erza as hard as he could - which wasn't very hard. "That doesn't hurt at all!" Erza said cheerfully.

"I don't understand what's happened to me," Happy said. "I've never felt so tiny and weak. It's like I've somehow requiped into a cat!"

"Geez," Cana sighed. "Can't I just drink in peace?"

"They're so cool!" Romeo whisper-screamed. "They could ruin anything!"

"Kinda their thing."

"What in the world's going on here?!" Gray shouted. "I feel really cold! And why is there an exact lookalike of me here?!"

"What are you talking about?!" Lucy demanded.

"I hate my life," Loke cried. "Don't you morons get it? When I read that script out loud, I accidentally cast a spell. We've switched bodies!"

"Quit messing around, Loke," Lucy shouted.

"I'm Natsu, Boobface!" Natsu/Loke looked up in horror. "But if I have Loke's body, then that means… Who has my body?!" He took a quick look around. "Loke has my body!" he screeched, running out of the guild.

"Natsu and Loke, Gray and Lucy, and worst of all, Happy and I have switched places!" Erza/Happy announced.

"What do you mean, 'worst of all'?!" Happy/Erza exclaimed.

"The ancient Unpela-ese 'Changeling' spell has been set in motion," Makarov said, walking in. "That job flier was the cause. Reading a certain spell aloud will cause the personalities of nearby people to switch. That spell is the Changeling spell."

"That sounds scary!" Lucy/Gray whimpered. Natsu/Loke came in, dragging Loke/Natsu through the door.

"No flirting with girls in my body!" Natsu/Loke shouted. "I have a reputation to uphold!" Gray/Lucy placed a hand on Natsu/Loke's shoulder.

"So you're Natsu, right?" he confirmed.

"No duh, Boobface," Natsu/Loke snapped, dropping Loke/Natsu on the ground. Lucy/Gray kicked him in the face.

"Don't call me that!" she shrieked.

"You idiot!" Erza/Happy yelled at the same time Gray/Lucy did. "What the heck have you done?!"

"How was I supposed to know it was a spell?" he demanded. "All I did was read the cursed flier!"

"That's enough Lucy," Makarov sighed. "I mean, Gray. For wizards, this spell switches more than just personalities." Natsu/Loke groaned.

"Let me guess. It also switches our magic. Because that's the only way this could get any worse." Makarov nodded. Natsu/Loke began anime crying. "I hate my life. Kill me now…" Loke/Natsu groaned.

"Man, I'm hot. It feels like someone poured magma down my throat."

"That would be my Dragon Slayer magic, moron," Natsu/Loke sighed. "And you really don't have room to talk. I _hate_ this body." He bolted up with horror. "Shut the doors!" Without waiting for anyone to obey him, he slammed the doors shut. "If Loke's fangirls come, he's - I mean, I'm not here."

"There's one other thing you should know," Makarov said. "If the Changeling spell is not lifted within thirty minutes of activation… you will never return to your bodies. Or so says the legend, at least."

"What?!" everyone shouted.

"How many minutes have we been like this?" Natsu/Loke panicked.

"Sixteen," Mira said with a perfectly straight face. "That leaves fourteen minutes."

"Please tell me that there's a counter-spell!" he shouted.

"Well, it is ancient magic, so it goes without saying that I… don't know." Everybody groaned. "I must say, I'm disappointed. I was looking forward to punishing you for the S-Class quest incident… but that won't do any good now! Well…! Good luck!"

"I actually went with them," Natsu/Loke sighed. "I asked Happy to get the request and the dumb cat forgot to register it. Didn't find out until we got there."

"That's not true!" Lucy/Gray shouted. "You found out when you got to my house!"

"I can't take it anymore!" Gray/Lucy shouted, beginning to pull his shirt off. A good bunch of the guys got pervy looks on their faces as Lucy/Gray screamed in horror.

"Get a hold of yourself!" she shouted, pushing his arms down. "Anything but that!"

"Let go! I need to take it off!"

"Oh, right!" Happy/Erza said. "That's Gray inside, so he still has his habit of stripping! Then that means…"

"That means what?" Erza/Happy said. It dawned on her. "No, Happy!"

"This'll be awesome! Ok, here I go!"

"No! Stop this at once!"

" **Requip**!" The cat - woman? - requiped into a bathing suit with ponytails held up by fish, and a fishing rod. Natsu/Loke sweatdropped. "Tadah!"

"Whoa!" Elfman, Wakaba, and Macao shouted. "Erza looks smoking hot!"

"How dare you!" Erza/Happy shouted, flying toward them with an outstretched fist, only to hit Happy/Erza's elbow. "I-I can't believe this… My pride as an S-Class wizard…"

"That was weird," Happy/Erza said. "I meant to wear a cool suit of armor…"

"This is even worse!" Natsu/Loke groaned. "We switched magics, and they're weak and lame now…"

"Hey, Loke," Wakaba said. "I mean, whoever's inside!" Natsu/Loke gave him a piercing glare. "Natsu, then. Have you figured out what magic he uses?" He groaned again.

"I don't know, but I bet it's lame."

"Hey!" Loke/Natsu shouted. "Wait… do you wear armor all of the time?"

"Yeah, you have a problem with that?" They butted heads.

"Man, you're paranoid! You don't want people to see you so badly that you wear armor _and_ heavy clothes? Talk about lame."

"You can't even use my magic properly! You're drooling fire!" Fire was in fact dripping out from under his mask.

"Well, that's not very threatening," Mira chuckled.

"Shut it!" Natsu/Loke shouted angrily.

"I must admit," Erza/Happy said. "Flying is way more fun than I thought it'd be. I shouldn't be wasting my precious time like this! I need to be changed back at once!"

"What are we going to do?" Lucy/Gray complained. Ice began to drip from her mouth.

"Hey, Gray - er, Lucy," Mira said, noticing, "There's ice coming from your mouth."

"Gross! I hate this…"

"No need to worry, Lucy!" a voice came from the doorway. "Leave it to me!" Everyone looked up to see Levy and Team Shadow Gear in the open doors.

"Levy, it's you!" Lucy/Gray cheered.

"Levy," Natsu/Loke said thoughtfully.

"The Shadow Gear team is here to save the day!" Droy said proudly. "You guys'll be back to normal in no time."

"Good," Natsu said. "Because that's exactly how much time we have. Midget, any way you can help?"

"Oh, yeah," Jet replied. "We've got this." Both men then said, "Now, do your thing, Levy!"

"When you boys say 'we', you really mean Levy, right?" Mira asked.

"You're so sweet to help us," Lucy/Gray said.

"I think I'm going to be sick from the sweetness," Natsu/Loke said, looking a bit green.

"Anything for my girl," the bluenette said. She added in a whisper, "Besides, I want to read your novel, and it'd be kind of weird talking about it with Gray."

"Hey, Natsu," Loke/Natsu said, "I can see why you don't like loud noises; I can hear everything!"

"Speaking of which, we need to have a talk," Natsu/Loke said, dragging his body off to the side.

"I know a thing or two about ancient writing, so I'd better start by looking up the writing on the flier."

"Sounds good," Gray/Lucy said. "But do it quick!"

"Listen up, everyone," Erza/Happy said with a fish in her mouth. "We need to let Levy work in peace." She noticed the fish in her mouth. "Why do I have a fish in my mouth…?"

"Cause they're yummy!" Happy/Erza said with a fish in his own mouth.

* * *

 **Poor Erza... Review please! Or else I'll set Natsu on you! :)**


	28. Switcheroo: The End

**Thanks for all the awesome reviews! Let's answer some of the guests...**

 **Sarah: Why thank you! I'm glad you enjoy this so much!**

 **yazzyjazzy: I'll be following the arcs up to the Battle of Fairy Tail, and then I'll be making my own arcs.**

 **I'm really looking forward to a new arc. Natsu won't be coming in the new arc (Phantom Lord) for a while. I was also asked when Nats was going to start being a little nicer to Lucy... Yeah, that's not happening for a while.**

* * *

"Let's see here…" Levy said softly. "'Ugo deru…"

"Ten minutes left!" Loke/Natsu exclaimed, his conversation with Natsu/Loke over.

"Are you sure it's safe to read it out loud?" Gray/Lucy asked.

Natsu/Loke interjected, "As long as she doesn't read it in the correct order, she'll be fine. Crap! I feel so weird! Gray! Get over here! I need to punch something."

"No!" Lucy/Gray shrieked. "You aren't allowed to hurt my body!"

"How's it going, Levy?" Lucy/Gray asked a little later.

"Did you figure anything out?" Natsu/Loke demanded.

"No, I'm stumped!" she said sadly. Natsu/Loke groaned.

"Here, let me help," he said grumpily, sitting down next to her. "I know quite a bit about ancient languages."

"Oh, no." Erza/Happy moaned. "I'm going to live the rest of my life as a weird cat with wings…"

"I'm not weird!" Happy/Erza growled with a fish in his mouth. Gray/Lucy grabbed the edges of his shirt and began to pull up with a yell. The men once again got pervy expressions.

"I said don't do that!" Lucy/Gray shrieked.

"The girls are never going to talk to me now," Loke/Natsu whined.

"Is that seriously the biggest of your worries?" Natsu/Loke asked.

"I want to switch with someone," Romeo said as Cana chugged from a barrel.

"Not me, kiddo. I'd die if I was underage again."

"How much time left?" Levy asked tersely.

"Eight minutes," Macao said. "Hate to say it, but maybe you should get ready for the worst." Jet and Droy began cheering Levy on. Natsu/Loke just put a pair of earplugs in and kept working.

"What happens if we end up like this forever?" Gray/Lucy asked after a minute or so.

"What do you mean?" Happy/Erza said.

"Are we just going to try to adjust to our new bodies, and go back to work?"

"Well," Lucy/Gray said, "what choice would we have?"

"Whatever happens, I'm totally fine!" Happy/Erza said. "All I hafta do is stay quiet and everyone will be nice to me, 'cause I'm scary now!"

"Hey!" Erza/Happy shouted.

"You know that isn't the issue here!" Lucy/Gray snapped. "You stupid alley cat! I don't want to be stuck like this! I just wanna be a cute girl again!"

"You never were," Natsu/Loke muttered, flipping a page.

"Tonchiki!" Everyone reacted with horror once they realized they couldn't use their magic properly and now they sucked. Natsu/Loke casually remarked that he would murder Loke/Natsu because he didn't want anyone in his body for too long.

"If only I wasn't trapped in this form…" Erza/Happy moaned.

"Shut up, cat," Natsu/Loke said absently.

"You're mean!" Happy/Erza shouted. "You've been a big meanie ever since we switched bodies!" He tried to fly away, but ended up belly-flopping on his body. Natsu/Loke snickered.

"Just what were you trying to do there, Erza? I mean, Happy?" Macao asked.

"She was being mean to me, so I tried to fly away," Happy/Erza wailed. "But I… But I don't have wings, so I fell…"

"M-My apologies…" Erza/Happy wheezed. "Just please get off…" She passed out.

"That's it!" Levy exclaimed. Natsu/Loke looked up in surprise.

"You can lift the spell?!" Loke/Natsu exclaimed.

"Do it!" Gray/Lucy shouted.

"This ancient writing means, 'May this eternal exchange bring happiness unto you'. Kinda cute, isn't it?"

"Aw…" Lucy/Gray cooed. "It is…"

"Yeah, and?" Gray/Lucy demanded.

"In other words," Levy grinned, "people who've been switched by this spell will live happy lives forever! Oh, I'm so glad I deciphered it!"

"In case you morons haven't noticed," Natsu/Loke said through gritted teeth, pulling at his hair, "we're trying to break the spell, not translate it!" His voice had risen to a roar. Levy pulled back a little in fear. Even in Loke's body, he was still terrifying.

"Oh, that's right!" Levy groaned. "I'm so sorry!"

"You've got this," Lucy/Gray encouraged. "I have faith that you can do this. You've got to work a little faster, ok? Maybe there's some kind of code, or a hidden message, you know, something like that."

"Yeah!" Levy said. "Good idea!" Natsu/Loke was trying his best to ignore Jet and Droy as they cheered the bluenette on.

"Go! Go! Go, Levy!"

"I'm gonna kill them," Natsu/Loke muttered.

"Isn't all that racket gonna distract her?" Wakaba wondered.

"No!" Elfman shouted. "It's good to have fighting spirit! Almost makes me wanna join in!"

"Huh?" And before they knew it, Elfman had joined the annoying cheer team. Levy threw the paper down in annoyance.

"I'm still not seeing any kind of a pattern!" she cried out. "It doesn't seem to make any sense!"

"What if you try this…" Natsu/Loke said, leaning over.

"Three minutes left!" Macao said helpfully.

"Three minutes?!" Lucy/Gray yelled.

"Well, this is it…" Erza/Happy said. "For the rest of my life, fish for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I've… worked so hard! And now I'm going to spend my days chasing mice and little pieces of string!" She began to fly away.

"Come back here, Happy! I mean, Erza!" Loke/Gray shouted.

"Erza," Happy/Erza said. "Sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have acted that way."

"Really?" she replied. "You mean it?"

"Now's not the time for us to fight! Will you please forgive me?"

"Yes, of course! I apologize as well!"

"Aye! Here! This is a symbol of our renewed friendship!" And with that, he presented her a fish.

"Fish!" Erza/Happy exclaimed with sparkling eyes. "Wait! I don't want it!"

"Could you be anymore clueless?!" Lucy/Gray shouted.

"Have you figured it out yet?!" Loke/Natsu demanded.

"This is seriously bad," Macao said. "One minute to go."

"Is it just me, or are you actually enjoying this?!" Natsu/Loke shouted.

"N-Not at all…"

"I think I've almost got it…" Levy muttered. Natsu/Loke looked over her shoulder, reading what she had written.

"That's good…" he said. "Look at this." They compared notes.

"Almost there…" she said.

"Work it, Levy!" Elfman shouted. Natsu/Loke growled under his breath. "Yeah! You're on fire!"

"He's too suited for this…" Wakaba sweatdropped.

"Still trying to break the spell?" Makarov asked.

"Gramps!" Gray/Lucy exclaimed. "Don't you know any spells?! At this rate, we're going to be -"

"Oh!" Makarov said, remembering something.

"Yes, Master?" Erza/Happy asked.

"Nope, nevermind, kids, I've drawn a blank." They all face floored.

"We're not gonna make it in time!" Gray/Lucy yelled, pulling his shirt up. Lucy/Gray put him in an armlock.

"Taking my shirt off isn't going to change anything!" she yelled.

"Let go of me!"

"Dunno how accurate it is," Macao said, "but you probably have about forty seconds left."

"What do you mean, 'probably'?!" Gray/Lucy shouted.

"I just remembered something!" Makarov said.

"What is it?!" they demanded.

"While it can be lifted, you can only do it one pair at a time. Meaning, it's impossible to turn everyone back at once!"

"What?!"

"Thirty seconds… More or less."

"Which pair goes first?" Gray/Lucy asked.

"Me, and the flirt, obviously," Natsu/Loke said. "If I go first and get my magic back, I can most likely fix the rest of you."

"How sweet," Mira cooed. "Natsu's actually doing something nice for someone else."

"Put a sock in it," Natsu/Loke said, hiding his face in a book, thought Lucy/Gray could've sworn she saw his face turn a little red. She had noticed that his face was very easy to read, while his voice was… well, not so much. Maybe he was so used to hiding behind his fearsome helmet, he had let his facial expressions go all over the place.

Everyone began to fight after who would go first. Natsu/Loke groaned. "You will be doing me and other me, right?"

"Uh, yeah," Levy stammered, unable to take her eyes away from the fight.

"This is getting ugly," Wakaba noted.

"At least they can't use their magic," Mira offered.

"Ten seconds," Macao said. Natsu/Loke stood up and punched him.

"Shut up!" he screamed.

"I got it!" Levy shouted.

"No time for explaining," Natsu/Loke said. "Just cast the freaking counter-spell!"

"Ok, here goes! **Aruboroya tesura rugi gou**! **Aruboroya tesura rugi gou**! **Aruboroya tesura rugi gou**! **Aruboroya tesura rugi gou**!" When the light faded, everyone looked around at each other.

"Hey!" Lucy said. "I'm back to normal!"

"Me too!" Gray grinned. "Man, that was close." Ice dripped out of his mouth.

"Now you're drooling ice cubes on purpose?" Wakaba wondered.

"You're awesome, Levy!" Lucy shouted, hugging her tightly.

"That's right!" she cheered. Levy explained how she and Natsu did it as said wizard made sure that he was in his body.

"It didn't work!" Natsu/Loke shouted.

"What?!"

"I'm still in a stupid cat body…"

"I'm fine either way!"

"Well, that does it for time," Macao said. "I guess the other two pairs didn't make it in time." The other freaked out as Natsu/Loke worked on another way to fix it.

"Now, now, don't lose heart," Mira said. "There's surely another way." She was holding Makarov's staff and sitting on the counter, exactly… like… he did…

"Something's not right…" Makarov said. "Is it just me, or am I shorter?!" Natsu/Loke face planted into the table.

"Hoo, boy! You won't hear me complaining about this body!"

"Someone get him out of my body!" Mira/Makarov wailed.

"All of you just need to man up, and get over it," Cana said as Elfman chugged a barrel of beer. "Why do I smell like booze?"

"What?!" he shouted. "Hey! How the-?" He passed out. Jet and Droy had also switched bodies. Natsu/Loke groaned.

"Kill me now!"

"Sorry," Levy said. "But I think I'm in way over my head here."

"This is awesome!" Happy/Erza shouted. "Everyone's someone else now!"

"I hate my life!"

* * *

Natsu later managed to break the spell by drawing runes, and using his body to channel magic into it, fixing the situation. Makarov was disappointed. The armored wizard immediately left on a job, saying that he needed to relax after all of the commotion. No one saw him for a month. He would enter the guild hall at night, take a job and leave a note saying which job he took. Only later did anyone see him, hanging in the rafters as always. Even then, he refused to speak with anyone, watching them carefully as he planned his next move.

* * *

 **Ooh, scary... I don't want to be in Gajeel's shoes soon. But first, we'll be seeing how Happy was born. Warning: Strong dose of feels at the end. And to my Whovian readers... WHAT THE HECK STEVEN MOFFAT? WHAT THE HECK. Ok, I'm done. Review, or Natsu will come after you. I might have told him something that made him angry... So you better review. XD JK. But seriously. Review. Thank you!**


	29. Seven Years Ago: Library

Lucy ran into Natsu on her way back from a simple, well-paying job. He grudgingly allowed her to tag along back to the guild, grunting in response to her questions. At the door of the guild hall, she finally lost her patience with him.

"Keep up that tough guy act and you'll never get the girls to like you," she teased. Natsu stopped. She kept walking a few step before she realized he had frozen. Turning, Lucy could see him shaking ever so slightly. "Natsu?"

Before she knew it, he had pressed her up against the wall. His hand was uncomfortably tight around her throat.

"Shut up about things you don't know about," he snarled in a low voice. She choked when he finally let her go, watching him stride into the guild. _What was that about? Scary!_ Lucy entered the library, trying hard to ignore Natsu's piercing stare. She could still feel his fingers around her throat.

"Hey, Mira!" Lucy called. "What are you doing up there?"

"Just a bit of reorganizing," Mira replied from her position on the ladder.

"I'll help you!" Lucy said cheerfully, eager to forget about Natsu.

"Are you sure you want to?"

"Yeah! I'm good with boring stuff!" As she got closer, Mira exclaimed in dismay.

"Oh, Lucy, what happened to your neck?" she asked, tenderly touching the red skin. "It looks like someone tried to strangle you." Lucy shrugged.

"I said something that Natsu didn't like very much, so he gave me a warning." Mira frowned. "It's fine, really!" she said, waving it off. "It was a stupid decision." She told the barmaid about what happened.

"I'll be talking to him later," Mira decided. "But… be careful around Natsu. He may seem like he's just a grump, but he can and will be vicious if you make him angry." Lucy nodded as she stacked books on a high shelf. "But his aloofness does make him seem attractive, doesn't it? I can see that you're attracted to it too!"

"WHAT?" Lucy slipped on the ladder in shock and landed hard in a pile of books.

"Are you ok?" Mira asked, rushing over.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I guess I'm not used to this." Lucy pulled a painting out from under a book. "What's this?" Mira laughed softly.

"I remember that. Oh, it does bring back memories…"

"Is this everyone when they were kids?"

"It sure is," Mira smiled.

"This must be Gray," Lucy said, pointing to a half naked boy with dark hair. "And… who's that next to him? Cana? Whoa! Macao and Wakaba! They're so young!" Lucy had to smile at the sullen heavily cloaked boy. "This must be Natsu. Only he would wear something like that at that age. I guess he hasn't started wearing helmets with horns, then? And what's with the little blue dragon?"

"Oh, that's Happy!" Mira said.

"Seriously?! How did Happy come to Fairy Tail anyway? Did Natsu find him? That cat is super attatched to him…"

"Let me think," Mira thought. "It happened just after I joined Fairy Tail… so it was about six years ago."

* * *

"Natsu!" Makarov called. _Where is that dratted boy?_

"If you're looking for Natsu," Wakaba said.

"He said something about training," Macao finished. Makarov sighed. He just hoped that he didn't run into Gray. The two of them were little balls of hate who fought every time they ran into each other. Unless Erza was there, they fought until she arrived.

* * *

"Natsu was always getting into fights," Mira sighed. "He seemed to be burning off his anger at the world. He was always distant, not really daring to open up."

"He's still like that," Lucy noted.

"Sometimes, though, I caught him looking… well, deflated would be the best word, I suppose. One day, he found something strange while training."

* * *

Natsu slammed his fist into the tree root. _Curse my stupid tiny hands, and feet! Curse you, Igneel, you stupid overgrown, fire-breathing lizard! Hell, curse this entire stupid world!_ The tree root shattered at last under his furious assault. _It's been a year since you left… Where are you? Why couldn't I track you down?_ Natsu stood there, panting, before noticing his bleeding hands. Swearing violently under his breath, he wrapped bandages about them. He continued punching a different root. Just as he landed one good punch, something heavy fell out of the tree and landed on his unprotected head.

"What the heck?" he wondered, staring at the egg. "Is it just me, or is that…?" A grin plastered his face. What better way to destroy this stupid world than with a dragon by his side?

* * *

"Check it out, suckers!" he shouted, running into the guild hall, feeling like a child for the first time in years as he brandished the egg above his head. "I got a dragon egg!"

"It's huge!" people marvelled.

"Where in blazes did you get that?" Makarov demanded.

"Found it in the East Forest," Natsu said smugly.

"The East Forest?"

"That's what I said, old man. Are you going senile or something?"

"Guess you're good for something after all!" Gray smirked. "Gonna fry it up for us?" Natsu picked up a mug and brained Gray with it.

"'Course not, you moron!" He grinned manically, though no one could see it. "I'm going to hatch it! And together, we'll burn the world to the ground!" Nobody thought much of that remark. Natsu was always saying things like that. Little did they know that he was more or less serious.

"Why, you-" Gray started.

"Gray, your clothes!" Cana sighed.

"Kya!"

"Are you sure that it's a dragon egg?" Cana asked as Gray scrambled to find his clothes.

"Look at the pattern!" Natsu snapped. "Of course it is!"

"I don't know about that…" Gray said, inspecting the egg.

"Now the real question is, how far along is the egg, and how long till it hatches?" He hugged it tightly and increased the heat. 'Evil' plans were going through his mind at light speed.

"I wish you the best of luck with hatching the egg," Erza said. "You usually burn and break stuff, so this will be a welcome change."

"I've been looking for you, Erza!" Mira shouted. Erza gave her a displeased look. "Why don't we pick up where we left off? Come and get some!

"You're going to fight again?" Cana asked.

"Mira," Erza said. "Now that you mention it, we never did finished our fight, did we?"

* * *

"That girl was you?!" Lucy shouted in horror.

"Yep!" Mira smiled. "Surprised?" Lucy compared the Mira in the picture to the Mira in front of her. They were both so different!

"Yeah! This doesn't look like you at all! And wait… you said you were picking a fight with _Erza_?!" Mira just chuckled and smiled sweetly.

* * *

"I'm gonna bury you alive!" Mira shouted.

"I'll make you beg for mercy!" Erza yelled back. Everyone looked the two girls, shaking their heads.

"Stubborn wench!"

"Navel-showing floozy!"

"Scum girl!"

"Bony girl!"

"Thunder thighs!"

"Four-eyes!"

"Erza's always been telling us not to fight, and now she's doing it herself?" Gray wondered.

"One of these days," Natsu said, "I'm going to beat them up. They really bug me."

"Aw, give me a break," a sweet voice said. Something squeezed inside of him uncomfortably. He avoided the girl when he could because of memories that were… unpleasant to say the least. But now she had him cornered. "Keep up that tough guy act and you'll never get the girls to like you," she grinned.

"Shut up, midget," he snapped. "What do you even want?"

"Don't be mean," Lisanna playfully scolded. "Can I help raise the egg too?" Natsu gave her a wary look. He wanted to continue avoiding her, but now he was stuck. Either agree and make himself miserable, or say no and get beaten up by the guild for daring to refuse her request. Lisanna was most certainly the sweetheart of the guild. Natsu sighed in defeat.

"Fine," he said. "Just don't mess things up and stay out of my way." The little girl beamed at him. _I think the cuteness is going to make me sick._

"Raising an egg sounds neat!" she said, skipping after him as he carried the egg out of the guild. "I bet it'll be real fun!"

"I'm not sure that fun is the right word," Gray muttered.

"Gray, your clothes!" Cana called.

* * *

 **Review please!**


	30. Seven Years Ago: Lisanna

**Yo! As you can see, the daily updates stopped for a while. Reasons? Been staying with a friend. A lot. And either one of my younger siblings or maybe my dad (My bet is on the siblings, but they both deny it) screwed up Google Drive and Gmail on the computer that I usually work on. I have to squint to see the words, and I'm under thirty! I don't have bad eyes! But you guys don't want to hear about me! On with the story!**

* * *

"Is that really Elfman?" Lucy giggled. "He was so cute!"

"Oh, yeah," Mira agreed. "He hasn't changed much at all."

* * *

Natsu tried his best to ignore the chattering girl. She was so annoying! _This was a mistake_ , he decided. He had a brief flashback from when he first joined the guild. Lisanna had followed him around, constantly trying to befriend him. She was just as irritating then as she was now. Every now and then, Natsu would adjust his temperature to fit the egg's needs.

"Wow, you'll be such a great dad one day," Lisanna marveled. Natsu grimaced. That was one of the last things he wanted to think about.

"No, I won't," he sighed. He put a finger up before she could protest. "Drop it. I know myself a lot better than you ever will."

"Well, if you were a bit more friendly, maybe I would," she responded hotly. They stared daggers at each other for a moment. Natsu's eyes drifted to the tiny, almost unnoticeable scars on her right cheek and felt a surge of guilt. Guilt was not a new feeling to him. Then she giggled. "I know! How about we build a house for the egg?"

Natsu was glad that he was wearing a helmet as he rolled his eyes. "Sure, why not?" he asked with an undertone of sarcasm. She didn't catch it, instead dragging him off to one of Magnolia's many fields.

Once there, Lisanna turned into a giant purple rabbit and began to put together a house. He had to admit, he was impressed. Natsu's specialties were burning and breaking things. Lisanna's specialties were a welcome change of pace.

Natsu settled the egg in the middle of the straw house. _It's actually pretty good_ , he thought. "I've seen better," he said out loud. He knelt and pressed against the egg, increasing the heat. To his surprise, Lisanna also hugged it.

"You're really warm," she sighed. "It's almost like we're a family." Lisanna felt every muscle in his body tense up.

"What do you mean?" he asked in a strangled voice.

"It's like I'm the mom, you're the dad, and the egg is our baby!"

"Err… ok…"

"It moved again! I hope it'll hatch soon!"

* * *

"A dragon's egg?" Laxus said in disbelief. "You know there's no such thing."

"I don't know," Macao shrugged. "Natsu was supposedly raised by a dragon, right?"

"Like I buy that…"

"Give him a break," Wakaba grinned. "It's just make-believe! They're playing with the egg at a secret base they built!"

"This is lame," Laxus sighed, walking away.

"How cute!"

"Puppy love!"

* * *

Natsu suddenly felt murderous intent for no apparent reason.

* * *

Mira chopped the table the men were sitting at in half. "What's the big idea, Mirajane?!" Wakaba demanded.

"Can't you just sulk around like a normal teenager?!" Macao added angrily.

"I knew something was wrong when she didn't stop by the guild," Mira raged, shaking with anger. "So she's been hanging out with Natsu, huh?!" The two men sweatdropped nervously. "She can't be friends with someone from Team Erza!"

"Don't look at us," Macao sighed.

"What do you mean by 'Team Erza'?" Wakaba wondered. "Try to chill out!"

* * *

"So this is where you found the egg?" Lisanna asked. Natsu shrugged.

"You asked to see where I found it," he replied. "It fell down from the top of the tree." Lisanna looked nervously at the shattered tree roots. "Relax," Natsu said, noticing her expression. "I was the one who broke them. I was just training."

"You must have been really angry," she whispered. Natsu looked away.

"I'm always angry," he murmured.

"What?"

"Nothing." Just then, a giant Forest Vulcan appeared. _Crap! Those thing's favorite food is eggs!_ "Get back," he barked, handing her the egg. No sooner had she taken it than he lit his body on fire. "I'll deal with this." It only took maybe half a dozen good punches to knock it out. "Why are you crying?" he asked. "You aren't hurt, are you?"

"I'm not crying, silly!" she laughed. "It's raining, see?" Oh. So it was. "Come on, let's get back to the house!" As they arrived, Lisanna stopped him.

"Wait! Just a minute!" Natsu stopped. _What in the world is she doing?_ The girl ran into the house she made. "Okay, come in!"

"Okaaay," Natsu said slowly, entering the house.

"Welcome back, dear!" she said. Natsu felt his face turn bright red. _Oh… That's what she's doing…_

"What?"

"I said, Welcome back, dear!"

"Oh… Hi, honey, I'm… home?" Lisanna blushed a little and beamed at him.

"It's a good thing we made it here," she noted, watching the rain. "The rain isn't stopping."

"Rain'll do what rain'll do," Natsu shrugged. "It'll go as long as it wants." His stomach growled. _Crap._

"I was wondering," Lisanna said. "Why do you live on your own?" Natsu looked away.

"'Cause I feel like it."

"But who cooks your meals and stuff? Fixes your clothes?"

"I cook my own food and fix my own clothes," he muttered. "Unless I eat at the guild."

"Don't you have to pay?"

"Yeah… But I work all the time anyway to get away from the losers in the guild, so I have plenty of money."

"That's just sad," she said, shaking her head.

"How come?" he demanded. Natsu was so used to living on his own, taking care of himself, that he had almost forgotten what it was like to be taken care of.

"Why don't I cook something for you sometime?" Lisanna suggested. He shook his head.

"Don't wanna bother you," he muttered. "Besides, I don't like being bothered at my house."

"I'm going to cook something for you whether you like it or not," she threatened. Natsu gave in.

"Once a month," he bargained. "No more."

"Every second Friday!" Lisanna beamed. "But I'm not as good as Mira."

"Why do I get the feeling that she only cooks children?"

"Be nice, Natsu!"

"Does Elfman cook too?" Natsu asked mockingly.

"Yeah, of course he does!"

"Now that I think about it, it fits him." Natsu pulled the egg a bit closer, feeling oddly protective over it. He was crushing the feeling as best he could, but it still persisted. Lisanna noticed.

"You're usually so violent, but you're really cute sometimes though, too!"

"What?!" he yelped nervously.

"It's been fun playing house with you," Lisanna smiled. "Maybe someday I could be your real wife?" Natsu stared at her in shock. Her words were all too familiar.

" _Can we maybe get married when we're older?"_

" _Sure!"_

"What brought that on?" he whispered, his voice shaking a little. She mistook it for nervousness, though.

"I just noticed how strong and brave you are, and you're really good with kids too! What's not to like?" Natsu looked away. How could he explain to her that he actually wasn't? "I'm kidding," Lisanna added as the air around him heated up, a sure way to tell if he was strongly feeling an emotion. "I don't even know what you look like!" The clouds parted to show the setting sun in all of its glory. "Wow!" Lisanna marveled. "It's so pretty!"

"Yeah," Natsu agreed absently. He was more focused on the implications of what she said. _It's impossible… but it might be…_ He placed an arm around Lisanna. "It is."

"It would be nice if we could stay this way forever," she sighed. She had been startled at first, but then sank into his arm.

"It would," Natsu admitted. The egg began rattling again, ruining the moment. They spent the night at the hutch, with him keeping a close eye on the egg even during his sleep. In the morning, Lisanna insisted that she had to go to the guild hall, so they took the egg there.

Mira almost instantly picked a fight with Natsu, which he obliged. Before long, however, the egg began to rattle violently as a crack appeared in it. Mira let Natsu out of the choke hold and he let go of her hair. People began to crowd around it until Natsu shooed them away, only letting Lisanna near. The egg broke and a brilliant orb of light floated above their heads.

Natsu was disappointed. He knew how dragons hatched, and this wasn't it. His interest was peaked, though. He had no idea what this creature was. The light vanished, leaving -

"Whoa, it's a freakin' cat?!" Macao and Wakaba exclaimed at the same time. It flew around on shaky wings for a moment before landing on Natsu's head. Everybody stared, waiting for the boy's response.

"You have got to be kidding me," he said. "It's a flying blue cat with wings."

"Aye!" it said in a tiny cute voice.

"And it talks," Natsu sighed. "Screw logic."

"He's so cute!" Lisanna squealed. Everyone in the guild had hearts in their eyes. As the sleeping kitten was passed around, she said, "Look, Natsu! Everyone was worked up just a few minutes ago… but now they look so happy!" Natsu shrugged.

"It's a kitten. What did you expect to happen?"

"What are we going to name him?" He stared at her in surprise. Then Natsu shrugged again.

"Dunno. I don't want it." Now it was Lisanna's turn to stare.

"Why not?" she demanded.

"Because it would starve if it lived with me," he chuckled. "You take care of him for us, ok?"

"Only if you name him," Lisanna said stubbornly.

"Fine, fine." He thought for a moment. "No laughing, ok?" She nodded. "Name him Happy." True to her word, she didn't laugh.

"Why that?"

"Because," Natsu called over his shoulder, walking out the doors. "Happiness is the one thing I don't have."

* * *

"I see," Lucy said. "That was a totally cute story! I think I understand Natsu a little better now."

"He never really changes, does he?" Mira chuckled.

"Hey, Mira!" Makarov called. "Could your come lend me a hand?"

"Of course!" As Mira walked away, Lucy went to identifying the others.

"Let's see… This is Erza, and this is Laxus! Which means this is Lisanna! That's weird… If she's Mira and Elfman's sister, how come I haven't met her yet? I wonder where she is…"

* * *

Natsu meditated above a small lake near Magnolia. _Kokino… Fuyu… Igneel… Lisanna… I miss you so much…_

 _"What happened this time?" Lisanna sighed. Natsu was 'relaxing' under the big tree in South Magnolia Park. The long horns on his helmet were slightly scratching the tree. "Did the client not like having such a grouch around?"_

 _"Put a sock in it," he retorted. "When did you get back anyway?"_

 _"Just recently," she admitted, sitting down next to him. "You sound like an old man."_

 _"I can sound like what I want to." Lisanna giggled and took his hand. He started. "L-Lisanna…"_

 _"Relax," she said, leaning against him. "I'm glad you're back."_

 _"... I'm glad too."_

* * *

 **So we got some feels... Great. Am I the only one who like Natsu's sudden murderous intent? I don't know, I thought it was really funny. Review please!**

 **Edit: That last part was a flashback. I put it in italics and changed it because a lot of you were confused about it. Sorry. I should have been clearer.**


	31. Interlude: Ghost

**I apologize greatly for not updating. I screwed up my shoulder and could write, then I got horrible writer's block on all of my stories. While only a few of them are published, I have well over twenty stories in the making. That ought to give you an idea of how bad the block was. But this chapter is... well... confusing to those who don't understand. My brother (an avid fan of this story) is irritated that I won't tell him anything about this new OC. Whoops... Spoilers...**

* * *

Lucy and Levy had made plans for a girls day out. As of right now, the former was waiting on a bench for the latter to join her.

"Mind if I join you for a few minutes?" someone asked. Lucy looked up. It was a girl about sixteen with flaming red hair that rivaled Erza's. She wore an old fashioned brown tunic that came down to her knees with loose red pants that went to her ankles. Lucy had heard the girl's geta shoes, but didn't think much of the sound until she spoke.

"No, go ahead," Lucy invited. The girl gave a sigh of relief as she sat. "I'm Lucy," she said, extending her hand. "What brings you to Magnolia?"

"Kokino," the redhead said, shaking her hand. "Just looking out for someone. Doesn't really matter." The two of them talked for a few more minutes before Kokino asked Lucy a question. "Is something bothering you?"

"It's nothing," she assured her. "Just… one of my guild mates is driving me crazy." Lucy ranted about Natsu for a few minutes with Kokino listening gravely. When she took a breath, she asked, "He wouldn't happen to be a very secretive guy who constantly wears armor and a helmet with horns, would he?" Lucy's jaw dropped.

"That's Natsu," Lucy muttered. "Do you know him?" Kokino gave her a sad smile.

"Once upon a time." The mention of Natsu's name seemed to be bothering her, though.

"Is something wrong?" she asked. "If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine -"

"It's fine," Kokino said with a warm smile. "I just thought of something you should probably know… I know that it's a struggle often, but please, try to be kind to him." Lucy raised an eyebrow. "I know, I sound ridiculous, but I'm being serious. Natsu…" She paused, at a temporary loss for words. "Natsu hurts a lot inside. He's very angry at the world for the things that happened to him when he was a child. For taking those he loved more than life itself before it was their time. Please… show him that humans are capable for kindness and love." Lucy's eyes widened. What was with this chick? "Show him that humans are more than the animals that he's seen them as his entire life."

"Wait…" Lucy said, trying to process the information she was being given. "What happened to Natsu that made him so angry?" Kokino just smiled sadly.

"That I can't tell you," she said. "It's up to him to tell you that. Just understand that for many years, he was denied the basic needs of any living being, and that has made him hate all forms of life. He hates humans with a passion. Show him, please, that humans can be so much more." Lucy watched her in shock. Was this some kind of prank?

"I don't understand," Lucy stammered.

"It's alright if you don't," Kokino said with a bright smile. "I don't expect you to any time soon." The blonde looked away, confused. What did she want from her? Lucy didn't think that she could do it. Natsu was so… hard. And violent. And cruel.

"Lucy." The single word made her look up. Kokino touched her face with oddly cool hands. "He wasn't always like that. He was once a child too." Lucy started. _How did she know what I was thinking?_ "Please remember… Natsu had mother who loved him once. And he loved her."

"Lu-chan!" Levy called. She looked over to see the bluenette hurrying over.

"This is my friend Levy," Lucy started to explain to Kokino, but she was gone. She frowned, looking around. _She was here just a second ago… Where did she go?_

"Lu-chan," she panted. "Sorry I'm so late."

"Did -" Lucy said, looking around. "Did you see anyone run away, or teleport, or something?" Levy raised an eyebrow.

"Lucy, there was no one here."

"But she was here!" she insisted. "I was just talking to her!"

"Lucy, I could see this bench from several yards away, and you were alone." Lucy's eyes widened. _Was she a… ghost?_ She knew Natsu once… and he was angry at the world for taking those he loved before their time… Was it possible that Kokino had been one of them? _Impossible. It's just impossible. Ghosts aren't real._

"Levy?" Lucy squeaked. "I think I was talking to a ghost."

* * *

 **Ooh... creepy... Tell me what you think in a review.**


	32. Phantom Lord Arc: Attack

**Various things have happened, guys. One: I'm going to have another cousin soon! I've been waiting for this for so long. Two: I haven't told you this before, but I'm moving. It won't be a long move, so it shouldn't interrupt updates too much. We've been waiting to find a house, and we think we've finally found one that fits our expectations. Fingers crossed, guys! It all depends if the owner changes their mind about the no-pets. But enough about me.**

 **I'm writing a Halloween one-shot that will be posted on Halloween, so I might not be writing that much for this story, but it'll start back up after if it does slow down.**

 **My brother and I have been throwing theories at each other for this story. I won't post his theory here, but I'll see if I can get him to put it in a review.**

* * *

Natsu had pulled a Mystogan/Laxus and made himself scarce not too long after Lucy met the 'ghost'. Gray, Erza, Happy, and Lucy took a job afterwards, but when they came back to Magnolia, there was a surprise waiting for them.

"Uh, guys?" Lucy asked. "I had originally planned to do this job by myself… Why did you all come along?" The reward was a mere five hundred Jewel.

"Isn't it obvious?" Happy asked.

"No, I don't think so…"

"We're Fairy Tail's strongest team!" the cat exclaimed. Gray nodded.

"Maybe if we all fight together, we'll have a chance at putting Natsu in his place!"

"That's your goal…?" Lucy sweatdropped. As they made their way back to the guild, people whispered around them.

"They must not know yet…"

"I feel bad for them…" _What are they talking about?_ Lucy wondered.

"Why is everybody staring at us?" Gray asked.

"I got a bad feeling about this," Happy agreed.

"They're afraid…" Erza noted. They could see the outline of the guild on the horizon… and it didn't look normal. "Why does the guild look so bizarre?!" Upon closer inspection, the guild hall had been impaled by multiple iron poles.

"No way," Gray muttered.

"What happened to it?" Erza demanded. "Who would do such a thing?!"

"I don't understand," Lucy whispered.

"It was Phantom," Mira replied shakily. They turned to see the white haired barmaid.

"Are you serious?" Gray asked. "Phantom did this?"

"We couldn't do anything to stop them," Mira continued. "They got us good…" She led them down to the basement of the guild. Lucy hadn't been there before, so there was plenty to see. Everyone was down there, and the master was drinking heavily.

"We've never been on the best terms with Phantom," she overheard Jet saying. "But come on!"

"Wanna go crush 'em?" Droy asked.

"Back off, you guys," Levy sighed. "We're talking about Phantom here."

"Yo!" Makarov said. His face was flushed and his words were slurred. "Welcome back!"

"Sorry we weren't here sooner," Erza said.

"How'd it go, Lucy?" he asked, completely ignoring the others. "You finish the job like a good girl?"

"Yeah… I guess so…"

"Master," Erza said firmly. "Do you understand the current situation?!"

"The guild hall's been demolished!" Gray added.

"Now, now," Makarov slurred. "Calm down. It's hardly worth fussing over."

"What?"

"Phantom, huh?" he continued. "Is that the best those fools can do? Dunno what they're so happy about, attacking an empty guild like that…"

"Nobody was here?" Erza affirmed.

"It was after everyone had already left for the night," Mira murmured.

"I suppose we can be thankful for that," the armored woman sighed. "At least no one in our guild was hurt in the attack."

"There's no point in fretting about people who can only do sneak attacks!" Makarov grinned. "Forget about 'em!" He continued to tell them that jobs would be handled downstairs until the upper levels were repaired. He then jumped down to, as he put it, 'take a leak'. The rest of the day was dull to say the least.

On her way home, Lucy said to Plue, "Things are getting really intense…" The guys on the boat warned her about falling in again, and she ignored them again. "I had no idea that the Phantom Lord guild and Fairy Tail had such a rivalry between them. Honestly, I thought about joining them before I met up with Natsu. They're known for being just as crazy, after all! But now I'm glad I joined this guild. After all," she added, opening her door, "Fairy Tail is -"

"Very nice place you have!" Erza said approvingly as Gray saluted her.

"The greatest!" Lucy finished. "What are you guys doing in my house?!"

"Concerning Phantom," Erza said. She wasn't wearing any armor, which was odd to see. "The fact they've come all the way to this city…"

"Means they probably know all our addresses, too," Gray finished.

"Huh?" Lucy shrieked.

"Mira thinks it'll be safer if we holed up together," he continued. "You know, strength in numbers."

"I guess she's right," she agreed.

"That's why everyone in Fairy Tail is having a bunch of sleepovers!" Happy grinned.

"You're a young woman," Erza said, sipping from her cup. "I would feel uncomfortable letting Gray sleep here unattended." Gray gave her a look that said 'seriously?'. "So I decided to stay here as well."

"So it was already decided that Gray was going to stay here?" Lucy demanded. "But why my house?!" Lucy screamed as Happy sorted through her laundry.

"What are you doing that for?!"

"Oh! Look, Erza! I found some sexy underwear!"

"W-Wow… She wears this?!"

"Get out of my stuff!"

"I'm gonna sleep now. Keep it down."

"Get out of my bed, Gray! You guys are making yourselves at home a little too much…"

"That said," Erza growled. "You reek of sweat, Gray. We're sleeping in the same room. You can at least bathe."

"I'm sleepy, though," he complained.

"Fine," Erza said with a smile. "I guess I could just bathe with you, just like in the old days."

"What kind of relationship do you guys have?!"

"They're the part of the strongest team!" Happy cheered.

"'Strongest' in a different way!"

* * *

"You sure about this, Levy?" Jet asked as they walked along the street.

"Shouldn't you stay with Laki at the girls' dorm?" Droy agreed.

"It's fine!" Levy insisted. "I don't want to split up our team!" They both began to fanboy over her, though she was oblivious to it.

"You're so great, Levy!" they cried.

"There's nothing to worry about with the three of us together!" Droy cheered.

"Yeah! I'll protect you, Levy!"

"No, I will!" As they argued, their proclamations were proven useless. Levy turned just in time to see a black shade coming straight at her.

* * *

Lucy sat in her tub, soaking in the heat. Something didn't seem right. It wasn't that Gray, Erza, and Happy were there. No, it just felt off.

"Your turn, Gray," she sighed, toweling her hair dry as she walked out. Happy was nomming a fish with all of his might. "Gray…" He was intently reading at her desk. A stack of papers…

"That hot water was nice," Erza said. "It was so relaxing."

"I'm glad that you're all feeling so comfortable…"

"I suppose I should get dressed," Erza said. Her magic glowed around her as she requiped into… pajamas? "Is this a bit more appropriate?"

"Is that really how you change your clothes?!" Then she sighed. "Do you have any idea why Phantom attacked us out of the blue like that?"

"I'm afraid not," Erza replied. "We have had our fair share of scuffles with them in the past. But never anything on this sort of magnitude before."

"Gramps should just go kick their butts!" Happy said through a mouthful of fish.

"Come on," Gray snapped. "You know he's not afraid of 'em. He is one of the Ten Wizard Saints, you know." Lucy suddenly realized exactly what Gray was reading.

"Who said that you could read that?" she demanded, snatching it from his hand.

"You can't snatch it out of my hands like that!" he protested. "At least tell me what happens next!"

"Yes, I can!" she growled. "I promised Levy she'd be the first to read it, so you're just going to have to wait." Erza extended a hand for it with an expectant grunt. "You're not getting it either! What are the Ten Wizard Saints, anyway?"

"It's an honor bestowed by the Magic Council," Erza explained. "An extremely coveted title shared by the ten most powerful wizards on the continent."

"Oh, wow," Lucy whispered.

"Phantom Lord's master Jose is one of them too," Happy pointed out. "Wasn't Natsu offered the title a while back?" Lucy's jaw dropped as Gray nodded.

"Yeah, he turned it down though. Didn't care for the responsibility." One thing led to another, and Erza was soon telling them about Phantom Lord's 'Element Four'.

"While Jose and the Element Four are all dangerous, the one deemed most dangerous is Black Steel Gajeel. We believe that he is the one responsible for the attack on our guild. He's known as the Iron Dragon Slayer."

"Wait!" Lucy yelped. "He's a Dragon Slayer too?! I thought Natsu was the only one! So, if he's the Iron Dragon Slayer, does that mean he eats iron?" Silence was her only answer.

* * *

Natsu paused. Something didn't feel right. Shaking it off, he continued on his lifelong quest. While he always kept his ear tuned to anything about dragons, he was constantly working on one thing: finding them.

He didn't know if the person he was looking for was a man or a woman. He didn't know what magic they used, though he had a vague idea of it being someone with Ethosien magic. _Ethosien magic…_ Natsu brooded. _I need to find this person! But where could they be? I've searched for so long, and not a sign of them…_ He looked up at the rising sun. He didn't realize he had been walking all night. _What am I doing wrong? Why can't I find them?_ Natsu glared at a small wolf who dared to come near. Then he sighed. _What do I do, Kokino? How do I find them?_ _Ethosien magic isn't that common._

 _Where_ _ **are**_ _you?_

* * *

 **Ooh... I've discovered that I love discussing theories about this story, so please please please send me your theories. I won't confirm or deny them and I'll be playing Devil's Advocate so you won't know what to believe. Have fun, and review!**

 **Or I just might set Natsu on you, and he's not in the best of moods right now. (OW!) He just hit me upside the head. See?**


	33. Phantom Lord Arc: Vengeance

**Yo! I'm back with the beginning of the Phantom Lord arc! I'll be posting a Halloween one-shot with the usual pairings tomorrow, so please check it out when I post it.**

 **I decided I'm not going to go as Natsu again this year. I'm going as the Puppet from FNaF 2. I went to a Halloween party and scared the living daylights out of some people. It was really funny.**

* * *

"Pardon us," Erza said as she forced her way through the crowd. They were in the Magnolia South Gate Park. "Please let us through. We're guild members." The sight was horrific. Levy and the rest of her team were suspended from the tree with Phantom Lord's insignia painted on her stomach. They heard Makarov approaching. "Master," Erza said in a low, dangerous voice.

"I can take our headquarters being reduced to rubble," the tiny old man snarled. "But I will _not_ let harm come to my children without taking revenge!" His staff splintered in his hand from rage. The master was shimmering with magic. "This means war!"

* * *

Lucy was sitting with Team Shadow Gear in the hospital as the rest of the guild went to battle Phantom Lord. _Droy… Jet… Levy…_ "Phantom Lord is heartless," she whispered, glancing out the window to the guild hall. "How could they do this?"

" _So, Lucy," a petite girl with blue hair said.. "I heard that you're writing a novel?"_

" _Ugh," she sighed. "So the word's gotten around already, huh?"_

" _Word up!" Happy agreed._

" _Somehow I can guess who spread it around…"_

" _Oh!" the girl exclaimed. "I'm being rude! I'm Levy McGarden! But just call me Levy. My friend in the hat is Jet."_

" _Hey, there," he said._

" _And that's Droy!" Said man was blushing at her._

" _Wow… You are so cute!"_

" _And together…" Levy continued, ignoring her teammate, "we're the awesome team Shadow Gear!" Lucy sweatdropped._

" _Oh, that's cool…"_

" _Anyway," Levy said, leaning in, "I'm a horrible writer myself, but I really love to read. Do you think I could read your novel sometime?"_

" _I-I can't," Lucy stammered nervously. "It's not good enough to show anyone yet…"_

" _What?" Jet asked in shock. "How come? I mean, what's the point of writing a book that no one's ever going to read?"_

" _You know," Droy said. "Some people say that being a writer is like showing your butt to the world." Lucy yelped and blushed deeply. Levy laughed._

" _You don't have to be embarrassed," she giggled. "Come on, Lucy, please show it to me! And I'm not talking about your butt, so don't get weird. The boys might want to see it, though!"_

" _I'm not exactly finished with it yet…"_

" _Alright, so when you_ are _done, I wanna be the first to read it!"_

" _Eh, he… sure!"_

" _Yay! I can't wait!"_

* * *

 _And just the other day_ , Lucy thought, _she worked so hard to help us out…_

"What they've done is unforgivable," she whispered angrily, tears filling her eyes. "They're gonna pay!"

* * *

"That's priceless!" one member of Phantom Lord laughed.

"Those Fairy Clowns got whooped good!"

"Gajeel gave three of 'em a real thrashing, too!"

"Aw, we can't let him have all the fun," another said, standing with his team.

"Yeah, we need to try picking off a couple of fairy wings ourselves." As they laughed, the doors exploded.

"Fairy Tail's come calling!" Makarov roared. The two guilds clashed. Many made a huge mistake when they figured that the little old man would be an easy fight. Until he went into Titan form.

"He's a monster!"

" **You dared to harm this monster's children! Do not think for one moment that human laws will protect you!** "

The ranks began to murmur dissent. They made another mistake thinking that the cat would've been easy too. Surprisingly, he wasn't. The cat was a pretty good fighter with fish. He stuffed everyone's mouths with seafood.

" **Jose! Show yourself!** " Erza demanded the locations of Gajeel and the Element Four.

"So that's Titania Erza," Gajeel mused in the rafters, high above the fight. "Laxus, Mystogan, and Natsu must be too scared to play. Or do they not care? Either way, Master Jose knew exactly how this was gonna go down… Rampage to your hearts' content, you lowly scum."

* * *

Lucy groaned in annoyance. "I can't believe everyone just… took off without me! But… Levy and the boys need someone to look after them, so I guess it's up to me." Rain began to pour down. "It's raining while the sun's still out?" A woman began to walk towards her. "Who are you?!"

"Drip, drip, drop," the woman murmured in a monotone. "Yes… Juvia is a rain woman. Drip, drop…" Lucy raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What sort of woman are you, pray tell?"

"J-Just the normal kind…"

"Drip, drip, drop." Juvia passed Lucy by. _What was that all about?_ Juvia put up a round pink umbrella. "Pleasure to meet you. Take care."

"Non, non, non! Non, non, non!" a voice said. "Non, non, non, non, non, non, non!" A man rose up out of the street. "Bonjour, with a 3-3-7 non!"

"Another weirdo?!"

"Lady Juvia! You know better than to neglect your work!"

"Monsieur Sol," the woman cooly greeted him.

"My monocle is whispering to me that this mademoiselle before us is our lovely cible."

"Oh, my. It was her?"

"Cible?" Lucy wondered. Her eyes widened once she translated it. "Target?!"

"Pardon my late introduction," the man bowed deeply. "My name is Sol. I am one of the Element Four. I am also known as 'Sol of the Great Earth'. You may call me Monsieur Sol."

"I've heard of the Element Four," Lucy said. "You're with Phantom!"

"That's right," he said. "The great Phantom Lord has sent us to collect you." Lucy frowned. "This is the Rain Woman, another member of the Element Four. She is known as 'Juvia of the Great Sea'." Lucy dropped her groceries and grabbed her keys, determined not to go out without a fight.

"You're the ones who attacked my friends! Aren't you?!" An orb of water surrounded her.

"Au contraire, mademoiselle," Sol said, pulling at his mustache. "A reasonable guess, but we are not the ones to blame." As Lucy struggled to get out, he continued, "That honor and the renovation of your guild was the work of Monsieur Gajeel. Although, to be fair, we were with him in spirit, as the saying goes."

"Why are you doing this?!" Lucy screamed. "Let me out!"

"Don't waste your energy," Juvia said. "Juvia's Water Lock cannot be broken." Lucy's eyes began to close as she went limp.

"C'est magnifique!" Sol wailed.

"Do not be afraid," Juvia went on. "Juvia will not kill you. Because Juvia's duty is to take you back… Lady Lucy Heartfilia."

"Victoire!" Sol shouted.

"Capture complete. Drip, drip, drop."

* * *

 **Yay! Lucy's gone! For now... As you can see, Juvia will be speaking in third person. If there are any questions, shoot me a review or a PM, and I'll do my best to answer it without giving away spoilers. Sooo... review? Please? For the Halloween spirit?**


	34. Phantom Lord Arc: Retreat

**Happy Halloween! Hope that you get lots of good candy! I posted my Halloween special, so please check it out! While this chapter is on the short side, I wanted to keep Natsu out for another chapter. He'll come in in the next chapter. In case you're wondering, Erza will be fighting Gajeel, not Natsu. He's made himself scarce, remember?**

* * *

"Erza!" Makarov called as he went upstairs. "I leave the rest to you!" While Phantom Lord had the numerical advantage, Fairy Tail's wizards were more powerful.

"Yes, Sir!" she barked.

"Jose must be lurking on the top floor," Makarov muttered to himself. "When I find him, there'll be hell to pay!"

"Please be careful," Erza murmured before focusing on the battle. Gajeel laughed.

"Guess it's time to wreak some havoc now that the main threat's gone!" Jumping off the rafters, he landed hard on the Phantom Lord sign.

"Black Steel Gajeel," Erza growled.

"You attacked Levy!" Nab shouted, throwing his fist at the Dragon Slayer. Gajeel's right arm turned into an iron bar, hitting Nab in the gut and throwing him back.

"Nab," Loke muttered with concern.

"What the -" Gray started in shock. "He just knocked out his own guildmates with that attack!" Gajeel chuckled as he jumped down.

"Show me what ya got," he smirked. "Unless you scum are too scared to face the great Iron Dragon Slayer."

"Too scared?!" Elfman roared in protest, leaping up to face him. "Real men have no fear!" His arm changed from Beast Arm to a limb made of stone. Gajeel blocked it with his own iron arm, smirking.

"You're Elfman, right?" he asked. They exchanged a couple blows. Elfman held back Gajeel's metal leg. "Oh? Not bad, big guy."

"Well," Elfman replied. "That's because I'm a real man!"

"Yeah?" Gajeel grinned. "Then let's see how a 'real man' handles _this!_ " Iron bars launched from his outstretched legs, many of them hitting his own guild mates.

"You're attacking your own comrades?!" Elfman raged.

"Cause I knew it'd distract you!" Gajeel's arm pulled back for a punch, transforming into iron. It hit Elfman roughly in the face, knocking him back. Erza used him as a springboard, pushing herself towards Gajeel. A slash of her sword send Gajeel flying at the bar.

"Whoa, she sent him flying," one of Phantom's members marveled.

"Nobody's ever done that before!" Gajeel stood, slightly annoyed.

"Elfman," she said. "Leave him to me."

"Come on," he complained. "First, you use me as a springboard, and now you want to steal my man-to-man fight?" Erza gave him a stern look. "Yes, ma'am!"

" **Iron Dragon: Club!** " Gajeel shouted, sending his transformed arm at her. She caught it, holding on tightly.

"You attacked our guild and our comrades," she growled. "You shall pay!" Gajeel retracted his arm, using the rafters as a springboard of his own. Launching himself at her, Erza delivered a well-aimed punch that sent him into the wall. Fairy Tail cheered for her.

Gajeel pushed his way out of the rubble.

"Nice try," he said. "But I'm still standing!"

"True," Erza nodded. "You won't be for much longer, though."

"Oh, yeah?" Gajeel grinned, rushing toward her. _He's fast!_ Gajeel kicked her with an iron leg. She crashed into some Phantom members.

"That hurt," Gray commented.

"This is slightly terrifying," Loke muttered.

"Aw, what's the matter?" Gajeel smirked. "You can dish it out, but you can't take it? Come on, Titania, I thought you were stronger than that." Erza stood.

"It will take more than that to keep me down."

"You seriously think you can beat me?"

"I know that I can," Erza said, requiping into her Heaven's Wheel.

"We'll see about that!"

"Your steel limbs cannot even touch me," Erza said with a grim smile. "You'll have to step up your game." She slashed at his metal arm, but he retracted it before the blow could land.

"Oh, so the rumors were true," Gajeel grinned. "You're as powerful as you look, if not more. Is that all you got, Titania?"

"Don't worry," Erza replied. "I'm just getting started. Dance, my swords!" They exchanged a few blows before Gajeel jumped to the rafter, metal points in the bottoms of his shoes allowing his to hang upside down. Erza jumped after him, both slamming through rafters.

"Destroying you will actually be satisfying," Gajeel smirked as he wiped a trail of blood from his lip. The building began to rumble.

"Everything's shaking," Wakaba observed.

"I guess they're going at it," Macao muttered.

"I don't like the sound of that," Gray said.

"What's going on?" a member of Phantom fearfully asked.

"This is what happens when Master Makarov's angry!" Cana laughed. Loke looked up warily.

"It's called the Giant's Wrath," he said with a note of awe in his voice.

"No one can stop him now," Nab grinned. Phantom Lord members whimpered as another exclaimed, "He's gonna make the guild hall collapse!"

"When he gets angry," Elfman grinned, "the master's even manlier!"

"Prepare yourselves!" Erza thundered. "As long as we have Master Makarov, we cannot lose!" Saying that, Makarov thudded to the ground.

"What the…" Elfman muttered.

"Something fell down!" The master's skin was a sickly green. Erza forced a retreat. Several people were surprised, but she insisted.

"I'm not going back until they've paid up," Gray snarled. He was surprised when Erza pressed her head against his chest.

"Please, Gray," she whispered. "It's our only option."

* * *

 **Yay! Ok, time to answer reviews.**

 **TokyoTeddiWolf: You won't find that out until the next chapter. :)**

 **Sarah (Guest): I'm glad that I've converted at least one person! XD But it is true. How in the world does a 17 year old have a figure like that? And one other thing... She gets mad at people when they stare at her butt and other assets, but continues to wear clothes that show off said items... What's up with that? If you wear clothes like that, prepare to be stared at.**

 **Also, why does Lucy have Gray's stripping problem? You know, losing clothes in fights? XD**

 **(::) Cookie. I don't know why I did that. Review please!**


	35. Phantom Lord Arc: Spilled Milk

**Enter Natsu! He's finally coming into the Phantom Lord arc! A lot of you were wondering what was going to happen when Lucy jumped out of the tower... Well, we'll see.**

* * *

Natsu swallowed and tilted his head up to the sky. He had hunted down a wild boar earlier and was now enjoying its juicy flesh. _Today's not half-bad so far._ Being so far out in the forest meant that he was all but naked right now, wearing nothing but his boxers.

"That was good," he sighed, leaning back onto the grass. "I almost want to stay out here, but… Crap. On second thought, maybe I should go missing for a while. Make everyone think I'm dead." Natsu chuckled as he thought about that. He was in an unusually good mood right now.

A sudden burst of terror ran through him. He was never scared, though, so he knew exactly what it meant. It was confusing, however. Whenever he allowed himself to get close to someone, he formed some sort of magical attachment to them. If the person was in danger, he would feel it in the form of fear.

But the confusing part was that he had very purposely not attached himself to anyone, so who could be in danger? He didn't stop to question it, pulling his armor and clothes on as fast as he could. The first and last time he had ignored the feeling, there had been hell to pay.

Natsu focused on the center of the fear, locking his magic on it. He began to gather his magic to teleport. Sending a thought ahead, he said, _Relax. I'm coming._

* * *

Lucy stood on the edge of tower as Jose writhed in pain. A thought that wasn't her own entered her mind. _Relax. I'm coming._ Something about it reminded her of Natsu, and she took the step forward.

"Natsu!" she yelled. Natsu appeared and glanced around. _Lucy?! Why in the world was my danger sense for her?!_ He wasted no time running towards her. _Can't let her hit the ground… Don't know what she is to me, but can't let her hit the ground._ Natsu slammed his body into hers, roughly changing her direction. Holding her tightly, he knew that his armor would ensure that he would be on the bottom, keeping her safe. As the dust settled, he realized just how close he had come to accidentally impaling her with his horns.

"Thank you," she whispered. "I knew you'd save me."

"Why did they have you up there?" he asked as he untied her hands. "Party gone wrong?" Natsu noticed the expression on her face and began to feel awkward. "What did I say?"

"It's nothing," she assured him, though the look on her face said otherwise.

"We should head back to the guild," he noted. "You look like you need some rest. Besides I've been hearing some rumours that are making me curious." At the mention of the guild, tears filled her eyes. The awkwardness inside increased. He _hated_ it when people cried. It was so awkward.

"I'm sorry," Lucy whispered. "I'm so sorry…" Tears splashed onto her tightly clenched hands. "All of this… Everything… It's my fault. But I don't want to leave… I wanna be in the guild… with you guys… Because I love Fairy Tail!" Natsu's eyes widened in surprise.

" _This guild is going to be awesome, Kokino! I promise."_

"Hey," he said softly. "Look at me." Her tear filled eyes met his. "Now, go to sleep." He gave her a gentle poke in the forehead, sleep magic touching her mind. "I hate it when people cry," Natsu muttered. He scooped her up in his arms. "Water leaking out of eyes… It's not right."

* * *

"Lucy!" Mira exclaimed in worry as Natsu carried her downstairs. "What happened?"

"I put her to sleep," Natsu gruffly explained. "She'll be fine. She should wake up any minute now." Lucy began to stir. "See?"

Lucy's eyes opened to find herself in the basement of the guild, with Natsu's face in front of her. He nodded and got out of her face, moving over to a dark corner. She surveyed her wounded guildmates. Macao and Wakaba were helping to plan an attack on Phantom Lord's headquarters. _This is all my fault._ Gray noticed her uneasiness.

"Don't worry," he said. "We'll get them back for this."

"I know," she whispered. "I'm not worried about that. It's just… all my fault…"

"Being targeted by dangerous people is just one of the downsides of being rich," Elfman pointed out. "At least you're protected by a real man! Like me!"

"Hey, would you give it a break?" Gray snapped.

"I gotta say, I was shocked when I heard the news," Happy said. "Why'd you hide the truth from us, Lucy?"

"I wasn't trying to hide anything," she insisted. "I mean, there's no way to bring up the fact that I'm a runaway in casual conversation. I've been gone for a year, and my father hasn't cared. Now all of a sudden he wants to force me to come home? He's done all of those horrible things just to get me to go back. I hate his guts!" Natsu came closer, curious. Sweet little blondie actually had a spark in her. "Still, if I hadn't run away in the first place, none of this would have ever happened."

"Come on," Elfman drawled. "Don't be ridiculous! Your dad's the one to blame!"

"Idiot!" Gray sighed.

"Uh, I mean Phantom is!"

"He's got a point," Natsu said quietly. "Seems to me like he wants you for some reason that wasn't there a year ago."

"No," Lucy whispered. "I'm the one who brought trouble to the guild, and it's all because of my own selfish choices. I'm really sorry… I'm just going to go back home, and hopefully all of this will be over with." Natsu sighed.

"Will you stop with the self pity?" he snapped. "The dirtbag that you call a dad would have done something like this with Phantom or without. And Phantom would have found a way to hurt this guild anyway. They've hated us for quite a while now."

"Us?" Gray echoed. "Sounds like you're finally settling in." Natsu waved it away.

"Whether I like it or not, we're part of the same guild. Besides, Lucy. You said you wanted to stay with Fairy Tail, right? So why in the world would you go back to the same place you ran away from? It's not logical. And while I can imagine you in a fancy dress, I think that this guild suits you better." Natsu's gruff words made her eyes water. Tears followed shortly after.

"Don't cry," Gray awkwardly said. "It's not like you."

"That's right!" Elfman said. "Men are weak against tears!" Natsu rolled his eyes.

"I'm sorry… I can't help it…"

"Come on!" Cana shouted angrily. Her cards flew into the air. "I'm not getting any kind of lead on where Mystogan is!"

"Oh dear," Mira sighed. "You did your best."

"If Lucy's their real target, they're bound to attack again soon. Right now we're just got too many wounded to deal with them."

"The master's seriously injured, and we can't seem to locate Mystogan… You're the only one left that we can turn to, Laxus." Laxus sneered. "We could really use you now. Fairy Tail is in terrible danger."

"Man, Makarov is freakin' pathetic!" Laxus laughed. "I don't see how this is remotely my problem. You're big girls. So deal with it yourselves."

"So you're not gonna help us?!" Cana shouted angrily.

"Course not. Why would I? That senile old toad started this. Why do I have to be the one to clean up his mess?"

"Please, Laxus. Phantom's trying to kidnap Lucy."

"Who? Do I even know her? Oh, is it that new girl? I'll tell you what, if you can talk blondie into being my woman, I'll do anything she wants."

"You are such a pig!" Cana shouted.

"Are you sure you wanna talk that way to a guy you're begging to help ya? Do me a favour, if that geezer manages to pull through this, tell him he's over the hill and he should hand the guild over to me." He began to laugh again. Natsu, who had been listening to the conversation and growing increasingly annoyed, pushed Mira aside.

"Look, Lighting Crapper. If you want to run a guild, you got to protect it and make it strong. Do you even know what the word protect means?"

"And what would you know about running a guild?" Laxus retorted.

"More than you evidently do." The other man glared at him. "You'd be surprised at how much I knew."

"Oh, I am. Because it's hardly anything!" He began to laugh again. Natsu shattered the lacrima and melted the shards. Natsu turned when Mira sniffed. She was crying with rage.

"Mira," Cana said softly.

"I don't understand," she whispered. "How can someone in Fairy Tail be so heartless and cruel?" Cana glanced at Natsu. "I can't just sit here and watch; I have to join the fight too!"

"Wait, don't be ridiculous!"

"My staying here didn't stop Lucy from being kidnapped! I feel totally useless being stuck here at the guild hall. I want to help!"

"I understand, but you'll only get in the way as you are now. Even if you were once an S-class wizard."

"Chin up," Natsu said, lightly cuffing her chin. "No use crying over spilled milk. You have your own talents that just aren't useful right now." He was clearly awkward in this kind of situation. "Note to self," he muttered as he walked off. "Beat the ever living daylights out of Laxus next time I see him."

* * *

 **So, Lucy's still alive (sadly). As you can probably guess, Natsu and Laxus showdown at the end of the season is not going to be pretty.**

 **I want to ask you now, while I still have time. Should I continue to the Oracion Seis arc? The reason I'm asking is because there's a scene from there that is super important to the story here. However, if I have to, I can probably write it into an arc of my own making. But I don't really want to. That's why I'm asking you. If I do continue, it'll just be that one extra arc. Send me a review and tell me what you think. I'll tally up the votes once I reach the end of writing this season, and go on from there. Thanks!**


	36. Phantom Lord Arc: Jupiter

**I'm back once again! How was your Halloween? Good, good. I've gotten some votes on the Oracion Seis arc, but I'd like more. I want to make sure that a good bunch of you guys get your vote in. I only have one review to answer, so I'll do it now.**

 **BasFUl (guest): Do you really want to get me started? Oh, what are the ways in which I hate Lucy...?**

* * *

The _master is not here with us_ ," Erza thought in the shower. _Neither are Mystogan and Laxus. We have Natsu, but he's been drained from teleporting to save Lucy. And so many of us are wounded. Is it possible for us to continue fighting?_ Images from the carnage of their previous battle flooded her mind. Erza placed her hands against the wall. She remembered Makarov walking up to face Jose. She angrily punched the wall.

 _What was I thinking?! Why didn't I go with him?! This is all my fault. I'm a disgrace!_ A rumble roused her from her thoughts. The guild gathered out in the backyard.

"What in blazes?" Natsu shouted. A walking guild hall… _I had no idea Phantom had something something like this…_

"It's a guild hall with enormous legs!" Happy shouted.

"Is it Phantom?" Loke asked.

"Unless you know of any other guild that has it out for Fairy Tail," Natsu said.

"I never anticipated this!" Erza said, wearing nothing but a fluffy pink towel. If they weren't so focused on their imminent destruction, all the guys would be drooling. "I never believe that they would go to such extremes to attack us!" One of the front walls went down, and a giant cannon came out. _A Jupiter cannon?!_ The shot began to power up. Natsu's eyes widened.

"Everybody get back!" he roared as Erza shouted, "Run! Get out of here, now!" Erza started running, her towel falling of. She quickly requiped into her Adamantine armor. "I won't let you destroy the guild!" The cannon fired. The blast was so powerful that the water was pushed from the ocean bed. Erza slammed the two sides of the shield together, creating a large magic circle. _Can her armor stand up against that?_ Cracks in her armor began to appear. Natsu ran forward, catching her when it broke and sent her flying back. She seemed to be alive, though he couldn't tell for sure with his gauntlets. But she successfully stopped the blast from the Jupiter cannon.

"Makarov has fallen, and now Erza cannot stand," Jose said over the speakers. "Any chance of victory has slipped through your grasp. Surrender Lucy Heartfillia immediately. You have no choice."

"That's not gonna happen!" Alzack shouted.

"Like any guild would hand over one of their own to a monster like you!" Bisca added.

"You hear that!" Macao shouted. "Lucy's staying put!" The rest of the guild cheered and agreed.

"I won't ask again!" Jose snapped. Lucy began to cry in fear of what was going to happen to her guild.

"Maybe I should just go with them," she whispered. "Give myself up."

"We would never betray her like that!" Erza roared, pushing herself up. "You'd have to kill us first!"

"In that case, I'll give you an even bigger taste of the Jupiter!" Jose snarled. "You have fifteen minutes until it recharges! Tremble in fear!"

"No way!" Elfman said.

"What will we do?" Cana asked.

"They're going to fire at us again?" Loke gasped. Natsu looked around before crouching and drawing runes. _This is bad… Erza can't even stand anymore, Makarov, Mystogan, and Laxus are also out. I'm the only one powerful enough to stop it, but I used a lot of energy teleporting to save Lucy. I don't think I could stand a blast from that thing without using that magic… but I can't. Memory spells are freakishly hard and don't work that well unless you know exactly what you're doing._ Shades began to pour out of the building. _Crap!_

"Prepare to witness hell, Fairy Tail," a hologram of Jose said. "You've only two choices left. Be destroyed by my soldiers, or be eradicated by the Jupiter!"

"Are you kidding me?" Macao shouted. "He'd kill his own men with the Jupiter too?!"

"Surely he's bluffing," Wakaba chuckled nervously. "Who'd do something like that?"

"No, he's gonna do it," Cana said. Both men stared at her in shock. "Those Phantom soldiers are Jose's Shades. They're not human. They're phantom soldiers of his own creation. We've got to do something to take out that Jupiter!" Natsu stood.

"I drew some runes," he explained. "It'll hold off at least half of another shot. Meanwhile, I'll destroy the cannon. I've only got fifteen minutes to wreak it, right?" Cana nodded. "Come on, Happy, I need a lift!" Natsu took a running leap off the cliff. Happy caught him and bore Natsu to the cannon.

"Come on, Elfman!" Gray shouted. "We're going to storm the place too!"

"And we're going to stay here and protect the guild hall!" Cana grinned, pulling out cards. "You with me?"

"Yeah!"

"Lucy," Mira said. "Come with me." She pulled Lucy away from the battle. "We have a hideout. I want you to stay there until this is all over.

"No!" Lucy cried, pulling away. "It's all my fault that we're in this mess. I can't just abandon everyone while they're out there fighting for me."

"It's not your fault, Lucy. I don't see it that way and neither does anyone else." Mira's firm tone was a far cry from the sweet voice she usually used. "We're not just fighting for you. It's for all of us. It's for the honor of our guild. We're proud to fight this battle. Each and every one of us. Please, just do as I say." Mira reached out and put Lucy to sleep, the second time today she had been magically put to sleep. Mira caught her as she fell. "Reedus! Take her to the hideout!"

"Oui!" he said while painting a wagon.

"I'm counting on you to take care of her."

"Oui!" The wagon took off _. I may not be strong enough to join the others in battle… but Natsu was right; there are other ways I can protect my friends._ She used her transformation magic to turn into Lucy. _The Jupiter will fire in fourteen minutes. Don't let us down, Natsu._

* * *

 **Well, here's one way that I hate Lucy. Nope, everything is about her. Sorry sweetheart, but this thing isn't about you. Man, I expect to lose some followers one of these days. Also, for you NaLi fans out there, or anyone that doesn't really like Lucy... well, you'll see when I publish it.**

 **Review, please! They give me the initiative to write, because I am insanely lazy sometimes.**


	37. Phantom Lord Arc: Fire

"Don't let the shades touch you!" Loke shouted. "They're curses in physical form!"

"That is correct," Jose chuckled. "With a single touch, my phantom soldiers can weaken your life force. Such are my shades!"

"Just don't touch 'em, right?" Alzack asked.

"Let's show them what we're made of!" Bisca cheered. Between the two of them, they annihilated a large group of shades.

"Nice shooting," Cana approved. Unfortunately, the shades reformed.

"Aw, come on!" Bisca complained.

"They came back?"

"Now what?"

"Aw, now that ain't fair."

"We just can't seem to catch a break!"

"There'll be no end to them if they keep fighting like this," Loke muttered. He felt a twinge. "What's that? I got a bad feeling all of a sudden."

* * *

Natsu punched the Jupiter cannon with blazing fists, but it wasn't doing anything. "Crap! I'm barely even scratching the surface!"

"Maybe you should try destroying it from the inside," Happy suggested. Natsu glared at the cat, then shrugged. They dropped into the inside of the cannon. Natsu got the feeling that he was walking into a monster's mouth. They came into a large room with a giant lacrima in the center. Four other lacrima of different colors surrounded it, probably to provide the power. One of the hands on the giant clock moved.

" _Eleven minutes until the Jupiter fires,_ " a female voice said.

"Crap, I should get to destroying it," Natsu muttered.

"I can't allow that," a man said.

"Should have guessed that they would have someone guarding it," Natsu said, crouching. He wasn't going to give up the high ground just yet. "Who are you? On second thought, I don't really care. Out of my way!" Natsu was fast, but the other man was faster. His fist moved of its own accord and hit him in the face. "What the heck?"

" _Ten minutes until the Jupiter fires._ "

"Ok, this isn't funny anymore," Natsu growled a couple minutes later. "I have to destroy this cannon, and your little trick with the fire is annoying."

"You can certainly try, but I won't let you."

" _Seven minutes until the Jupiter fires._ "

"I'm running out of time. So shut up and let me hit it." Natsu tried to hit him again, but the same thing happened.

"Are you ok?" Happy asked.

"I did it again… Man, that hurt! I didn't realize just how strong I was."

"How cares?! We don't have that more time! Just forget about this guy! It's the cannon! We gotta break it right now!"

"I'll show you," Natsu growled, running at the man.

"Listen to me, Natsu!" Unfortunately, his fist decided to go spinning around, and his opponent kicked him hard.

" _Six minutes until the Jupiter fires._ "

"I am Totomaru, and I have complete control over the element of fire."

"So that's your name," Natsu muttered, rising. "I think I might have heard of you before. You're one of the Element Four, aren't you?"

"Yes. Any form of fire is my plaything to do with as I please."

"You have got to be kidding me."

"It doesn't matter if it's natural or magic," he smirked. "All fire will yield itself my commands alone."

"Hate to break it to you, but you're not controlling mine."

"Natsu! That doesn't matter right now! We gotta destroy this thing first!"

"This isn't going to go well for you," Totomaru said. "My dear fire wizard." Natsu's eyebrow twitched. He _hated_ it when people talked to him like that. The extra lacrima began to power up, pouring magic into the center lacrima.

"Oh, no!" Happy exclaimed. "It's starting to activate again!"

" _Five minutes until the Jupiter fires._ "

"Will you shut up?!" Natsu shouted. "I know!"

"It's too late," Totomaru said. " **Blue Fire!** " The attack was pointless; Natsu just ate the fire.

"Whoa! That's cold going down… Never tasted fire like that before!"

"So it's you," Totomaru growled. "Fairy Tail's Dragon Slayer."

"The one and only," Natsu said mockingly.

"Well, this isn't going to work out well for either of us! We're both impervious to fire attacks."

"I haven't even hit you yet! How do you know my fire won't hurt you?"

"Go ahead and give it your best shot, but you won't be able to hit me." Natsu slammed his fists together.

"We'll see about that! **Fire Dragon…!** "

"I told you I can control any flame!" Natsu pulled the cloth mask down.

"Spit!" Natsu cackled as he pushed his mask back up. "Ha ha! I got you good!"

" _Two minutes until the Jupiter fires._ "

"Natsu! We've gotta hurry! The Jupiter is about to fire!"

"That was a dumb move," Totomaru snarled. "Do you think this is a game? **Orange Fire!** "

"You saw it yourself; fire is food to me!" Natsu began to eat the fire, but choked. "What the heck?! This tastes awful!" Totomaru laughed.

"That fire has the smell of an old rag that's sopped up spoiled milk."

"That's a dirty trick," Natsu growled.

"And a face full of spit isn't?"

" _One minute until the Jupiter fires._ "

"Come on!" Happy wailed, tugging on Natsu's horns. "Hurry up!"

"Shut up!" Natsu snapped, whacking the cat off him. He rushed towards Totomaru. _I can't use my magic against him. Maybe I can take him down barehanded._

"Now you're going to try fighting without magic?" he smirked, dodging with ease. "That's fine by me! My katana and I have the advantage!" Years of sparring with Erza when he was bored kept him well out of reach until Natsu finally landed a blow. The katana went flying and embedded itself into the main lacrima.

"You think you're so smart," Totomaru scoffed. "A little ding like that won't destroy a lacrima of that size!"

"Maybe not, but now you're swordless!" Natsu lit his hands on fire again. "Which mean I have the upper hand!"

"Sheesh. How many times do I have to tell you that won't work?" Natsu punched himself in the face, cracking his visor. _Aw, crap, not again! Replacing this thing is a nuisance!_ He increased the range of his fire so it would reach Totomaru. It worked.

"This is bad!" Happy panicked. "Bad! Bad!"

" _Twenty seconds until the Jupiter fires._ " Flames swirled rapidly around Natsu's fists.

"Think you're going to blast me again? Not going to happen! I'll keep my distance and control your fire from here!" The inferno grew as Natsu combined the fire. "What? I can't get it to move! It won't even budge! He's blocking my control! How did he learn to do that in the middle of a fight?!" The normal color of the flames began to be tainted black.

"This fire is the only thing that's stuck with me through the years!" Natsu bellowed. "It's mine, so don't mess with it!" He threw the blaze at him, but he dodged.

"Ha! Your attack's no good if it can't hit me!"

"Who says I was aiming for you?" Natsu smirked as the column of flames rushed toward the sword.

" _Three. Two. One._ " The lacrima shattered. _That was too close._ The cannon exploded. Natsu could hear the cheers of Fairy Tail. His mouth curved into a little smile.

"You outsmarted me," Totomaru growled. "I guess you aren't just brute strength after all."

"Here's a little tip for you," Natsu sighed, ignoring the wreckage around him. "You can't just tell fire what to do. You have to ask it from the heart." Totomaru sneered.

"Don't get cocky," Jose growled. "You haven't beaten me yet. Awaken the giant!" The ground began to rumble.

"I've had enough of you messing with my fire," Natsu shouted. "Play with my fire and you'll get burned!" Then the ground began to tilt.

"He's awakening it now?" Totomaru gasped. "But there's no horizontal stabilization in this room!"

"What?!"

"You Fairy Tailers are through!" Totomaru laughed as Natsu felt familiar twistings in his guts. "Phantom's giant will slaughter you!"

"Natsu! Pull yourself together!"

"I can't…"

* * *

 **Yo! So I've been thinking about how there are over 200 people reading this story, and only ONE of you (Johnny Spectre, thanks a bunch!) was kind enough to review... It may just be me being weird, but it kind of bugs me. I don't know. Maybe I should stop writing for this...**


	38. Phantom Lord Arc: Earth

**So I've got some things to admit... I will be continuing the story. Of course I will. I was just playing a prank on you. *laughs nervously* I admit that it was a cruel prank, and I'm sorry. I expect to be cussed out in the reviews.**

 **But one thing that I found as a result of said prank was how much you guys love this story. I've got to say, I'm touched. I had no idea that you cared about this story so much.**

 **Have no fear, I will finish this story if it's the last thing I do! Thank you so much for the reviews!**

* * *

"No way," Cana said. "You've got to be kidding me!"

"The giant," Loke muttered. "Phantom's most powerful weapon!"

"Kneel before me, detestable brats!" Jose commanded. "Or you will fall victim to my wrath. Savor your last moments because soon I will end your pathetic lives."

"The shades are coming back!" Alzack warned.

"A giant _and_ ghosts?" Bisca said. "How are we supposed to deal with that?!"

"Just focus on the shades for now!" Cana ordered. "We'll let Natsu take care of the giant!"

"Sure," Wakaba said, "but what about…"

"His motion sickness?" Macao finished. Everybody groaned.

* * *

Natsu was as sick as a dog. He felt awful. Sometimes he was able to push past the motion sickness, but other times…

"What's your problem?" Totomaru asked. "You get motion sickness? Guess you can't eat fire now, can you?! Well then… Time for me to finish the job!"

"Natsu!" Happy cried out.

"Prepare to die, Dragon Slayer!" Ice began to cover his hands. _I am never going to live this down…_ "Wait. No! What's happening to me?!"

"You're not a man," Elfman scolded as he sent Totomaru skyhigh. "You're a backward shooting snowflake!"

"That makes no sense!" he wailed as he vanished.

"What's your deal, Natsu?" Gray asked. "That was just sad."

"Shut up," Natsu groaned. He could stand now that everything had stopped moving. "I could have taken him easily if this cursed place wasn't moving."

"But if you were a real man, you'd make the vehicle motion sick."

"So, is this all that's left of the Jupiter cannon?"

"No, I was juggling giant pieces of lacrima. What do you think it is?"

"I'm going to fly outside and see what's going on," Happy decided, wanting to get away from an increasingly irritated Natsu.

* * *

"Hey, look," Alzack said. "What's that?"

"It's writing something," Bisca agreed.

"It's a magic circle!" Laki shouted.

"That's the magic circle for an Abyss Break!" Mira gasped in horror. "One of the forbidden spells!"

"Uh-oh," Happy whispered.

"Look at the size of it!" Loke said. "A black wave that big would take out all of Magnolia!"

* * *

"We're doomed!" Happy wailed.

"Crap," Natsu said. "We've got to stop them."

"I guess we should split up and try to find this thing's power source," Gray said.

"Man, are we ever going to catch a break?" Elfman complained.

"Come on, then," Natsu said. "We should get to it."

"Yeah!" Elfman enthusiastically agreed.

Natsu sighed. _This is going to take a while._

"Mira," Cana said. "How long do you think we have until the giant casts that spell?"

"I'd say about ten minutes," Mira estimated. "If only we could figure out its power source!"

"Don't worry," Cana assured her. "I'm sure the guys inside are searching for the power source now."

"Someone's in there with Natsu?"

"Yeah, Gray and Elfman." Mira's eyes widened in horror.

"Elfman?!" she cried. "But why?!"

"What's the big deal?" Cana asked. "He wanted to go."

"You know as well as I do that he can't fight!" Mira panicked. "It's just too dangerous!"

"He'll be fine," Cana smiled. "He was one of our best fighters in the raid earlier."

"Fighting grunts is one thing, but if he went up against one of Phantom's best as he is now… I don't know if he could handle it."

"Well, yeah," Cana reluctantly agreed. "I understand why you're worried, after everything that happened back then. I would be too. Listen, we all suffered with you. But I think this is his way of trying to leave the past behind and move forward. Let him do it." _Elfman,_ Mira thought. _Fighting to leave the past behind… Lisanna… I need to start moving forward too._ Mira walked up to the giant. Several people cried out in horror when they saw what she was doing.

"Leave them alone!" Mira shouted. "I'm the one that you're after! I'll surrender if you swear to stop attacking our guild!" _Hopefully this will buy us a little more time._ Jose sniffed.

"Begone, imposter!" _How did he know?_ Jose laughed as Mira let the magic stop. "Nice transformation, but you can't fool me. I've known from the start that Lucy Heartfilia wasn't here." _I'm useless,_ Mira thought tearfully. _I can't do anything right._

* * *

Elfman roared in frustration. "As a real man, I will protect Fairy Tail, even if it costs me my life!" Behind him, Sol rose from the ground.

"Salut," he said with a dreamy wave.

"One of the Element Four," Elfman muttered, pulling off his jacket.

* * *

"Elfman," Mira whispered worriedly. A green magic circle appeared beneath her feet. She only had the time for her eyes to widen before she dropped through the ground. She appeared between two fingers of the giant. They pinned her tightly.

"Did you really think your little parlor trick would fool me?" Jose sneered. "As punishment, I'll crush you to death as you watch your friends perish."

"Mira!" Cana yelled.

"We gotta get her down somehow," Macao said.

"But how?!" Wakaba cried. _Please, guys,_ Cana thought. _Please don't let us down. We're all counting on you to stop that giant!_

* * *

"Como sava?" Sol greeted him. "My name is Sol. Monsieur Sol."

"Like I care," Elfman scoffed. "All I want to know is how to stop this thing! **Beast Arm: Black Bull!** "

"What's this?" Sol asked. "Only your _right_ arm can transform? It appears the rumors floating around about you are true."

"If you don't shut your trap," Elfman said, "I'll make you!" Sol jumped out of the way just before his fist hit the ground.

"You had a… little sister, n'est-ce pas?" Elfman growled. " **Sable Dance!** " Dust blinded him for a moment, and when his vision cleared, Sol was gone. Turning, he found the Earth wizard behind him. " **Roche Concerto!** " Rocks flew up, knocking him back. He landed on his feet. "Non, non, non!" Appearing behind him, Sol wrapped around his right arm. "Salut!"

"You're seriously creepy!"

"Non, non, non! With three nons, you won't stand a chance!"

"Get off me, Mansewer Sol!" Sol glared at him.

"It's 'Monsieur', idiot!" he said, kicking Elfman away. _Man, he's a lot stronger than he looks._ "Many years ago, you attempted a full-body Take Over and failed, no? You went berserk?" Memories he'd rather forget surfaced.

"You shut up!" he roared after a moment, leaping towards Sol. " **Beast Arm: Iron Bull!** " Lisanna came from nowhere. Her serene expression with closed eyes was gentle and yet terrifying. She was dressed exactly as she was on that day… "L-Lisanna!"

"I apologize," Sol said. "But I took the liberty of scanning your memories when you so rudely stepped on me earlier." He chuckled.

"Why, you-!"

"My, what an adorable sister you have! I wonder where she is right now? Oh, pardon me. She's in the cold, dark ground." His Beast Arm vanished as he stared. "Ceroval! How could you do something so cruel to someone who loved you so much?" Lisanna's eyes opened. With her voice overlapping his, Sol added, "Well, Big Brother Elf?" Rage and grief spilled over as he pulled his magic up to do something he had sworn to never do again. _I can't let him get to me! I've gotta do this!_

"Non, non, non! Çe n'est pas bon. If I were you, I wouldn't attempt another full-body Take Over. Don't you remember what happened last time you tried?" Multiple Lisannas grew from the floor, take her exact appearance. "You lost control, Big Brother Elf." The accusation in her eyes was heartbreaking. The cries of all of them ripped his soul to shreds.

"It was all your fault!"

"How could you forget?"

"I thought you _loved_ me!"

"Please, don't hurt me!"

"We only want to help you!"

"No! Don't do it!" The Take Over magic faded away as Elfman fell to his knees.

"C'est dommage," Sol tittered. "You really shouldn't attempt to do something you're incapable of. All you've done is wasted your magic energy."

"You're nothing but a coward," Elfman hissed, trying to overcome what he just saw. "A real man would fight me instead of messing with my head!"

"Are you insinuating that I'm not a real man?" Sol asked angrily. "Non, non, non! I can't let that comment go. Come now, what gives you the right to tell me how a real man should behave? You're not a man; you're a monster who murdered his little sister! **Platre Sonata!** " A rock fist hurtled toward him. He lay at the edge of the broken wall, partly hanging out of the building.

"Elfman, no!" Mira screamed. His eyes opened. "Elfman!"

"Big Sis?" he whispered, standing. "What's going on? How did they get a hold of you?! _Mira!_ "

"Oh, that's your older sister," Sol said, doing his creepy dance behind him. "Mademoiselle Mirajane, also known as the She-Devil. Quite fearsome once. But now holds a mere fraction of the power she once held. Pauvre fille. She's being punished for trying to deceive Master Jose. She'll be crushed before long."

"Run!" Mira begged. "Get out of here!"

"No! I can't leave you!"

"You killed Lisanna," Sol observed, "and now Mirajane will die before your eyes. Imposter! Your manly image is just a facade hiding the weak, powerless wizard you really are." Stone began to wrap around Elfman. "A real man would never let that happen to such fair creatures. For that crime, you shall receive eternal torment! **Sealing Magic: Merci la Vie!** You will become part of the earth and relive your painful memories over and over again. Poor monsieur…"

* * *

 **Here's the chapter! I would have posted it earlier today, but there were some French phrases that I was confused about. Thankfully, one of my aunts speaks French, so I sent her recordings of the phrases, and she told me how to spell them.**

 **Interesting fact: After I pulled that prank, my views went _way_ down. Please keep reading! If I play another prank, it won't be that cruel! **

**Note: I'll only pull pranks if reviews are low. So beware! :)**


	39. Phantom Lord Arc: Beast Soul

"You will become part of the earth and relive your painful memories over and over again. Poor monsieur…"

"No! Stop it!" He was suddenly floating in white fog. He could hear the sound of crying. _I know this place,_ he thought as a gravestone came into view. _That's me._

"Big Brother Elf!" Elfman turned. Lisanna ran out of the fog. Her eyes lit up when she saw him.

"It's you!" he said with joy. "Hey, Lisanna, I -" She ran straight through him and towards his past self.

"Come on, please try to cheer up," she said soothingly.

"No, I can't," his past self sobbed. "My parakeet's dead and it's all my fault!"

"It's not," Lisanna assured him. "You had nothing to do with it. Even though it makes us sad, all living things have to die eventually."

"Really?" he whimpered. "Everything has to… die?"

"It's sad," she agreed, "but that's just the way life works. Don't worry, your friend will always be with you. He'll live on in your heart for as long as you can remember him."

"Live on in my heart?" both Elfmans said. "Shut up!" his younger self cried, shoving Lisanna away. "You don't understand how I feel!"

"No, don't go!" Lisanna began to cry softly.

"Don't cry, Lisanna," Elfman said, though she couldn't hear him. "I didn't know what I was saying." He turned to see Mira's condescending look.

"Geez," she said.

"Mira…" Then the scene changed. It was that day…

"What happened this time?" Lisanna sighed. Natsu was 'relaxing' under the big tree in South Magnolia Park. The long horns on his helmet were slightly scratching the tree. "Did the client not like having such a grouch around?"

"Put a sock in it," he retorted. "When did you get back anyway?"

"Just recently," she admitted, sitting down next to him. While Mira and Elfman never really liked her spending so much time with Natsu, they let her because it made her happy. "You sound like an old man."

"I can sound like what I want to." Lisanna giggled and took his hand. He started. "L-Lisanna…"

"Relax," she said, leaning against him. Natsu would tolerate her presence, but often it seemed like he was actually enjoying it. Lisanna had managed once to get a laugh out of him that wasn't a humorless barking sound. "I'm glad you're back."

"... I'm glad too."

"Come on, Lisanna," the younger Elfman said. He hadn't gotten the scar on his face yet. "Let's go, we gotta get to work." He gave her a disapproving look at her proximity to Natsu.

"What?" Lisanna gasped.

Natsu muttered, "Will you turn me loose, woman?"

"But we just finished a job," Lisanna continued, standing. "Can't we take a little break?"

"Yeah, but it's an S-class quest," Elfman insisted. "Mirajane wants us to go and help her out with it."

"Which one is it?" Natsu asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"An emergency request," Mira smirked. "It just came in. They want us to kill off this monster called 'The Beast'. You wanna come with us, Natsu? You might actually begin to earn your S-class title."

"No way!" Elfman shouted. "We don't need him tagging along. I'm the man of the family, and I can protect you on my own!"

"Like I'd even want to go," Natsu snorted. "You guys would only slow me down."

"No!" the present Elfman said. "Don't go! At least take Natsu with you!" He chased after them, but the scene faded away into the mist. Sparks began to float around him. His eyes widened in horror.

* * *

"Elfman!" Mira cried. "Pull yourself together! You've got to snap out of it! Please!" Her words began to bleed into his subconscious.

* * *

"Elfman!" he heard Mira cry. He turned to see his monstrous form.

"That monster is me," Elfman whispered. He had only heard stories about what he looked like.

"Elfman," Mira groaned. "Pull yourself together!"

"Mira!" Lisanna shouted, flying down in the form of a bird. "I had everyone in town evacuate. Now let me help you!"

"You have to run, Lisanna," Mira said grimly as the monster approached. "Its dangerous. I was getting beat up pretty bad so Elfman tried to Take Over the beast to protect me."

"Oh, my gosh," Lisanna whispered. "That's him?!"

"It would've worked, but the Beast was too powerful for him. He only lost control."

"Oh, no." She pulled Mira to her feet. "What do we do? How can we save him?"

"We have to get him to come to his senses before the Beast completely takes over his soul." The Beast was standing right in front of them. Lisanna walked forward, confident. "What are you doing?!" Mira shouted, falling back to the ground. "Come back here!"

"Big Brother Elf?" Lisanna queried. "Are you feeling ok? It's me, Lisanna. Your little sister. Our Big Sister Mira is here too." The Beast tilted its head. "We're a family, and when times are tough, we pull together and work things out. So why don't the three of us go home and talk about what happened today. I promise we're not mad at you."

"It's no use," the present Elfman muttered. " _Just run!_ " The Beast roared.

"Come on," Lisanna said opening her arms as if for a hug. "Don't be afraid, Big Brother. We still love you." The Beast raised its arm and swatted her aside as if she was nothing. All went silent. He didn't hear Mira's scream of horror and grief. He didn't hear the Beast's roar of triumph. Elfman fell to his knees. He was in front of her grave now.

"I'm so sorry," the past Elfman sobbed. "It's my fault that Lisanna's dead."

"No," Mira said. "It's not your fault. Remember what she told you? Even though it makes us sad… All living things have to die eventually…"

"... You were there that day?"

"Lisanna will continue to live on in our hearts," Mira said in a shaky voice. "As long as we remember her."

"That's right…"

"From now on," Mira swore with tears streaming down her face, "we'll live life for her and promise… we will never forget."

* * *

"I'll never… forget…" Elfman murmured, the stone covering all but his left eye.

"Elfman!" Mira shouted. "You've gotta… snap out of it! Please, brother! I can't lose you too!"

"Now," Sol announced. "It's time for the coup de grace!"

"... She's crying…" Elfman muttered.

"What now?" Sol sighed. Powerful magic began to swirl around him as the rock began to break.

"I swore I'd never let anyone make you cry again! Tell me… _Why are you crying?!_ "

"That light," Mira whispered. "No, don't do it, Elfman! It's too dangerous!"

" _Who made you cry, Mira?!_ "

"It's no use," Sol said. "You're not strong enough for a full-body Take Over. Mon dieu!" he gasped, adjusting his monocle. Standing in the rubble was the Beast, awake after two years. "Zut alors! He did it!"

"The full-body Take Over!" Mira said. "Beast Soul!"

* * *

Lucy's eyes opened. She was at her home, in bed. "When did I get back home? I thought we were all in some kind of fight." She stared out the window. "I wonder if it was all just a dream."

"Yup!" Natsu said cheerfully. "It was all just a dream, so keep sleeping!"Lucy turned to see Happy, Natsu, Cana, some weird orange mouse-thing, the village chief Moka, Taurus, and Macao all in her room. Happy was eating a fish, Natsu was somehow walking on the ceiling, Cana was chugging from a barrel, and Taurus was freaking out over her as usual.

"Please destroy the moon!" Moka cried.

"What the heck?!"

"Boyoyoyo!" Everlue cackled.

"Hey, somethings in your bed," Gray noticed. He wasn't wearing anything, not even boxers. Lucy peeked under the bed to see Juvia.

"Drip, drip, drop," she murmured with her oddly piercing stare.

"You're creeping me out!"

"Drip, drip, drop."

"No… Leave me alone…"

"Lucy?" Reedus said. "It's just a dream. Wake up." Lucy kicked him.

"Out of my room!" Then Lucy got a good look around her. _This isn't my house._ "Hold on sec… What the… This isn't my room at all!"

* * *

 **Time to answer the reviews!**

 **Guest: The only way I can respond is through this story and I am NOT going to post the ending until the end. (durh) All I can say is death, destruction, and fire. Lots of fire.**

 **naluismyotp (guest): I am, I am...**

 **Guest: Wow, lots of guest reviews. I won't bite, I promise; you can use your account if you have one. Lucy is a strong character, I agree. She just rubs my skin wrong. If I had hackles, they'd be up. Well, I do like cats. XD**

 **Two things before I go, three if you count the request for reviews. One: If you have anything of DeviantArt or anything like that, I would absolutely love to see it. Two: If anyone knows how to make memes, I'd like to see this one. You know the Joker memes? You know, "Do so-and-so and nobody bats an eye. But do so-and-so, and everybody loses their minds"? I'd like to see this sometime: "Hate on Lisanna, and nobody bats an eye. Hate on Lucy, and everybody loses their minds!" Because it's true. Why the hate on Lisanna? She's done nothing wrong.**

 **Besides, Lucy is far more likely to force someone out of the guild, personality wise. Lisanna would rather DIE than use force on her brother. Why would anyone think that she would be hateful enough to force someone out of Fairy Tail?**

 **Sorry, I just get frustrated. People drive me crazy sometimes with their hypocrisy.**

 **Note: I spent more time on the original A/N than I did the chapter itself. :D**

 **Edit: 2/6/2017: I got rid of the original A/N because reasons that I'll explain in the next chapter. Chapter 61 for the people new to the story. Thanks!**


	40. Phantom Lord Arc: Air

"Zut alors!" Sol exclaimed. "He did it!"

"The full-body take over," Mira said. "Beast Soul!" Elfman roared.

"Non, non, non! With three nons, this is a misunderstanding!" Sol said, terrified. "I gave you that tough ordeal to help you overcome your painful past! That's all! So bonsoir! Elfman is truly a man among men! I always knew you would overcome it! Nes pas?" Elfman just stared at him. "Well, I should be going now… Au revoir!" Elfman hit him. "Curse you! **Platre Sonata!** Non, non, non! You let your guard down!" The smoke cleared to see a very unhappy Elfman. "Uh… Salut?" Elfman punched him over and over again.

"That's enough!" Mira cried, hearing Sol's cries of pain.

"Je t'aime," Sol's soul said as it floated out of his body. Elfman watched it for a moment before grabbing it and stuffing it back into his body. "Non! At least knock me out!"

"Elfman!" Mira screamed. The purple glow of his eyes vanished as he turned toward the sound of her voice. Jumping out the hole in the wall, he moved across the arm over to her. "Elfman… I want to talk to you. Can you hear me?" The Beast was in front of her, just like two years ago. "I'm worried," she confided. "Please don't tell me you've lost control again. Elfman…" His fist slammed down just behind her, pushing the fingers aside and pulling her out.

"I'm sorry, Mira," Elfman said in a deeper, gruffer voice. "I promised I wouldn't try a full-body Take Over ever again. And after what happened to Lisanna, I thought I never would."

"You're still in control," Mira sobbed, half giddy with joy.

"But I didn't have any other choice. I knew that this was the only way to protect you and the rest of the guild."

"Please," Mira whispered with a smile. "Stop beating yourself up about Lisanna. It wasn't your fault. You didn't do anything wrong." Elfman's Take-Over vanished. "You were just trying to protect us."

"And I failed miserably," he said. "I killed my little sister." He remembered all of the time they had shared together. Mira gave her giant of a brother a hug.

"But your big sister is still alive," she smiled.

"Mirajane…"

"We said we'd live our lives for her, remember? We promised to keep her memory alive so she'd live on in our hearts."

"Big Sis!" Elfman wailed. "I'm so glad you're ok!"

"Come on," Mira laughed. "What's with all the tears all of a sudden?"

"I can't help it…"

"You saved me," she murmured. "Thank you, Elfman." Then Mira noticed something.

"What is it, Big Sis?"

"It's not drawing the magic circle as fast as before," she said. "The Abyss Break is the forbidden spell of the four elements. And those are fire, water, wind, and earth." She gasped. "The Element Four. Do you have any idea how many are left?"

"Uh…" There was Totomaru, and now Sol. "I guess that leaves two more."

"That must be it!" Mira exclaimed. "The giant is slowing down because they've been beaten!"

"Yeah, but why?"

"Because it's being powered by the Element Four. If we defeat the other two, then we can stop the giant from casting the spell."

"Really? You think so?"

"We have to hurry. The other two are probably somewhere inside the giant!"

"Right! Let's go!"

* * *

"Thank goodness," Cana sighed with relief as she watched Mira and Elfman run down the arm. "I'm glad they made it out ok." A wave of exhaustion made her fall to her knees.

"Cana!" Macao called in concern.

"Don't worry about me! Just focus on the enemy! We have to protect Fairy Tail!"

"You don't know the word 'quit', do you?" he smirked before dodging a shade by inches.

"Listen up!" Cana shouted. "Don't stick together! Spread out and fight!"

"Right!" _I don't know what is is about our guild, but our ladies are ridiculously strong_ , Macao thought with a grin.

"Hey," Laki said. "Where did Loke run off to?"

"He said he was going to check the hideout," Alzack explained while loading his pistol. "He said he had a bad feeling about it."

"Wha?" Wakaba said. "You mean he ditched us?"

"He's making sure they're ok, because if the Abyss Break is cast, they'll be in trouble too!"

"That's true," Laki said.

"Besides," Alzack added. "Loke's hunches are usually right."

* * *

Natsu ran through a hall. Ugly gargoyles leered at him. He occasionally ran across one of the enemy, but he usually just shoved them aside with fire and flipped them off.

"You really shouldn't be so crude," Happy said, flying along side him.

"Never you mind," Natsu shot back. "Wait, I just thought of something. When we beat Jose, this thrice blasted guild war should be over." Happy fell out of the air in shock.

"Natsu!" he shouted. "Are you completely out of your mind?! Jose is a Wizard Saint _and_ a guildmaster. He's just as strong if not stronger than Master Makarov! There's no way you can beat him!"

"But he's not here, is he? Besides, I'm at least as powerful as him on a bad day. Relax, it'll be fine."

"Natsu, you dummy! I was trying really hard not to think about that, and then you had to go and bring it up! Now I'm bummed… We don't have our master or Erza."

"It's not so bad," Natsu said. "You've got me, and that's all you really need."

"You seem really vain sometimes."

"It's not vanity if it's true!" As they ran into the main hall, a powerful blast of air knocked him off his feet.

"How sad," a voice remarked. A man cloaked in green appeared from nowhere. _This must be Aria._ "'Wings of flame wither and fall… and all that remains is a dragon's corpse.'"

"'But the burning fire that remains within will destroy all with no remorse'," Natsu finished. "That's an old poem. It's been awhile since I've met someone who knew it.

"My name is Aria," he said with tears streaming down his face, though his voice was level. "I am the strongest of the Element Four. I've come in hopes of hunting a dragon."

"Beware," Natsu said. "Dragons are creatures of the air as well, and they tend to eat things that annoy them."

"Be careful, Natsu," Happy warned. "This guy's on a completely different level than Erigor."

"Like I don't know that."

* * *

 **I don't know, Natsu just seems like the kind of guy who would give someone the finger without a second thought. Speaking of which, if you ever go to Deviantart, look up Negaduck9. His Springaling comic is one of the funniest things I have ever seen. If you look at the latest comic, you'll see why I thought of it. If you like Five Nights at Freddy's, you have GOT to see this comic. Note: Springaling may be under Requiem for a Birthday Cake.**

 **If you're curious about the poetry, I just thought that what Aria said seemed poetic, so I turned it into a poem. :)**

 **I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please review!**


	41. Phantom Lord Arc: Water

**I'm back! I know I took a long time, but I have reasons. And sadly, I'm going to have to tell you that this probably won't be updated till December. Please don't kill me.**

 **I don't know if any of you know this, but my family's been searching for a house ever since my dad got a new job. We aren't huge fans of driving and hour and a half every time we feel like seeing him. After two or three months of searching, we finally found a house! Joy of joys! Bad news is, we're aiming to be out of our current house by, oh, this Sunday. Today is Wednesday. You do the math. Not looking forward to this.**

 **As if that wasn't bad enough, we're going to my maternal grandfather's house for Thankgiving. Now that doesn't sound so bad, because I really like my entire family (except for my psycho great-grandmother. But that's a story for another day.). But we live all the way across the country from him, so... yeah. It means... *shudders* PLANES. I hate hate hate hate** **hate hate hate hate HATE planes. I just can't seem to forget that we're several thousand feet up in the air - above the freaking clouds! - and that if the engines fail - which is unlikely, I know - we shall all plummet to our doom. Not a huge fan.**

 **I'll be taking Valium this time around.**

 **My parents think it'll relax me to the point that I won't start hyperventilation every time the plane shudders. I really hope it will.**

* * *

Rain clouds began to gather and pour out water as Gray climbed out of a broken window. "That's weird. When did it start raining?"

"Drip, drip, drop," a female voice behind him said. "Yes… Juvia is one of the Element Four, and a rain woman… Drip, drip, drop…"

"So you're one of them too," Gray muttered. "Then bring it on."

"I must say, I'm impressed that your guild was able to strike down two of the elements. However, you must not underestimate Juvia and Aria."

"Listen lady," Gray said, ignoring the rain. "If you're looking for a fight, I'll give you one. But let's get something straight. I'm not gonna hold back just because you're a chick." Years of fighting with Erza had taught him that. They both stared emotionlessly at each other. A pronounced blush appeared on her face, though not a muscle moved.

"Well, then," Juvia said, nervously turning around and walking away. "Juvia loses, then! Please take care!"

"Whoa, now! Are you serious?!" Her heart was thumping in her chest.

"What's happened to Juvia?!" she said, wondering what was wrong with her. "What is this thumping in her heart?!"

"Will you at least tell me how to stop the giant?!" Gray hollered, chasing after her.

"Juvia wants him to be hers… She can't hold back anymore! **Water Lock!** " She encased Gray in an orb of water. He cried out in pain. His shirt floated up enough for Juvia to see the bandages. "Oh, no! What has Juvia done?! He's injured! Juvia had no idea he was hurt! Juvia doesn't know what to do! He needs to be let out right away!" Her Water Lock turned to ice, then shattered. "He escaped from Juvia's Water Lock on his own! This is the power of an ice wizard… It's beautiful!" Her imagination went into an overdrive that it never really left again. "Water and ice… It's almost like fate! Juvia has finally found her prince!"

"You almost got me with that sneak attack," Gray panted. "You're playing dirty. Ow…" He began to unconsciously pull off his shirt as he rubbed his belly. _He's taking off his clothes! I'm not ready for this! We just met! Can't we take things slowly?!_ "I really don't want to fight a girl, but I will if I have to. So you better surrender, or else I'm gonna have to hurt ya. **Ice Make: Lance!** " Juvia didn't move as the ice went straight through her. Gray's eyes widened in shock as he beheld her water body.

"Juvia's body is made entirely of water," she explained. "Surprised? Drip, drip, drop…" Gray watched as her body reformed. "Yes… I mustn't forget… my love is also my enemy. We're on opposite sides of this war. But Juvia won't lose heart! Farewell, small flower of love! **Water Slicer!** " Gray barely dodged and watched in shock to see what the blades of water would have done to his body as they hit a pillar, slicing it to pieces. "When given the proper amount of force, water is strong enough to rip through steel. Underestimate its powers and you'll find yourself in a world of pain." Gray growled.

" **Ice Make: Battle-Axe!** " he shouted, sending an icy blast through her. It was no use.

"Can't you see you're just wasting your time?" Juvia sighed. "Physical attacks have no effect on Juvia. Yes… Drip, drip, drop."

"Now what do I do?" Gray muttered.

"Now matter what you do," Juvia said. "You cannot defeat Juvia. But there is one way you and your guild may be spared." A melancholy expression crossed her face. "Bring Lucy Heartfillia here. Do so, and Juvia will convince our master to leave."

"Aw, come on," Gray snorted. "Don't give me that crap. You and I both know that we're past the point of no return. Besides, Lucy's one of us. I'd rather give my life than hand her over to you." Juvia's umbrella hit the ground. _He'd rather give his life? Give his life? Give his life? Lucy's my rival! Lucy's my rival! Lucy's my rival! He loves her!_ Juvia wailed in grief.

"Oh, the pain!" she wailed. "How could fate be so cruel?! My heart feels like its been shred to bits! It hurts! Oh, it hurts!"

"What's wrong?" Gray asked, alarmed. "Are you sick or something?"

"She's not worthy of my love," Juvia growled. "Juvia will make her pay… Lucy Heartfillia cannot be allowed to live!" _What. Just. Happened._ Juvia sent a steaming blast of water at him. He barely dodged. Even so, it still grazed him.

"Ow! Boiling water?! And what's your problem with Lucy?!" She ignored him and sent another stream of water. " **Ice Make -** Whoa!" He had to dance around to prevent himself from boiling alive. "So fast! My Maker magic can't keep up!" Avoiding another blow, he accidentally skidded on a puddle of water and nearly fell off the edge. "That was close."

"Since she was born, Juvia has always lived together with the rain," Juvia murmured as she approached. "It gives me strength and makes me invincible." She reached for the sky with a single hand. White seething water came out. "Prepare to be scalded by my jealous rage!"

"What are you talking about?!" Gray shouted, jumping away from each burst of boiling water. " **Ice Make: Shield!** " It was only a temporary defense; the steaming water melted it quickly. "Man, this water's boiling hot! I can't keep this up for long!"

"Like I told you," Juvia growled. "The rain is Juvia's domain! No one can beat her in it!" Gray suddenly let the ice go, creating a cloud of steam. When it cleared, he was nowhere to be found. "He used the steam as a smoke screen," Juvia mused as she walk towards the broken window. "He's not just handsome, he's smart too. I really am in love…"

"I can't waste any more time on her," Gray panted, running down the hall. He checked over his shoulder to see if Juvia was following him. So far, so good. "I gotta figure out how to stop that spell!" Water broke through a window, flooding against him and carrying him back up to the roof. _It's so hot! My skin is burning!_

"It's all over now!" Juvia shouted. Gray twisted in the air, shouting, "Oh yeah?!" He slammed his body straight into the water. "Freeze up!" The boiling jet began to turn to ice.

"No! It can't be!" Juvia said as the ice encased her. _I should be angry that he froze my boiling water,_ she reflected. _But… Blush!_ Gray's hand had landed in an… interesting spot on her chest. He shouted in horror, thinking about what Erza might do to him if she found out. Enemy or no, if she saw him touching Juvia in that way, he was done for.

"It'snotwhatyouthink!" Gray screeched. "Ididn'tmeanto!" _I've never been so embarrassed in my life!_ Juvia thought. _Will I be stuck like this forever?_ "Sorry!" The ice vanished, letting Juvia drop to the ground. _Even though I'm his enemy, he released me… He's such a nice guy!_ She blushed for the upteenth time. "Hey, let's just start over, ok?" Gray asked nervously.

"Let's not," Juvia said, standing. "Honestly, I don't want to hurt you, so there's no point in us fighting anymore."

"Is this your weird way of admitting that you can't beat me?"

"You know," Juvia said, the blush on her face growing, "I'm much stronger than Lucy. If you'd let me, I would be happy to protect you."

"Protect me? From what?"

"W-Well," Juvia tittered nervously as the rain fell harder. "Anything that might hurt you. Because I think that you're a… you're…"

"Is it just me, or is this rain getting worse?" Gray asked.

" _Oh, this is so frustrating!_ "

"It won't let up," Gray continued, oblivious to Juvia's turmoil. "Man, this rain is gloomy." _Gloomy… Gloomy… Gloomy…_ Juvia's eye twitched. She fell to the ground. "Is something wrong?" _I thought he was different… but he's just like all the rest!_

"How could you be so cruel?!" she shouted as Gray took a step back in surprise. _I won't let my feelings sway me any longer!_ An explosive jet of water, even hotter than before, slammed into Gray, breaking the ground with its force. _I'll just have to freeze it again,_ he thought grimly, but nothing happened. The water was just too hot. "I'm through with love!" Juvia roared. "And I'm through with you!"

Memories of all the times people called her rain gloomy, and all the dolls that she would make flowed through her head like water. _It's true… Juvia is a rain woman._

"I've lived my entire life as a gloomy rain woman! But Phantom Lord looked past that! They welcomed me with open arms! I am one of the Element Four! A proud Phantom Lord member! **Sierra!** "

"How can you be 'proud' to be with them?!" Gray shouted. "You and your guild are going down!" The boiling jet was somehow also frozen. Juvia jumped out of the way before the ice could touch her.

"He even turned the rain to ice," she whispered. "He's amazing!"

" **Ice Make: Geyser!** " Juvia screamed as the ice encased her. The sparkling ice shattered, leaving her to drop into the ocean. _I lost. It's all over now. I'm going to fall to the ground and splatter… just like a raindrop… I suppose it's a fitting end for a rain woman no one wants or needs. Farewell, gloomy Juvia…_ Her eyes snapped open as she felt a cool hand grasp hers. She looked up to see Gray holding her hand tightly.

"Don't let go!" he called. "Don't you dare let go!"

"Why did you save me?" she whispered after he pulled her up.

"Just cause," he grunted. "Now get some rest." _He saved my life…_ Gray turned to her. "You good? Startin' to cool down a bit?" Juvia's eyes watered. A blinding ray of light appeared from behind the clouds.

"So bright!" she murmured. "The rain… it stopped…"

"Hey, look!" Gray grinned. "The sun's finally come out."

"So this is the blue sky… I've never seen it before…"

"Seriously?" Gray asked with raised eyebrows. "Huh… Well, there you go. It's pretty nice, ain't it?" Tears trickled down her face.

"It is," she whispered. "It's truly… beautiful."

"So…" Gray said, grinning at her. "You wanna go at it?" Her imagination took a very dirty turn and she passed out with sheer joy. "Hey! What's wrong?! Talk to me, Juvia! You alright?! Answer me!"

* * *

"It feels like we've been out here forever," Wakaba noted, "but that thing still hasn't cast the spell."

"The stress is bad for my heart," Macao complained. "We have got to put an end to this."

"Hey!" Laki shouted. "Doesn't it seem like the giant's being turtle-ish right now?!"

"Say what about turtles?"

"She's trying to say that the giant moving slowly. Think before you speak, Laki!"

"It made perfect sense to me! You guys are just dense!"

"Natsu and the others are inside," Cana said, walking up. "I'm sure they're doing their best to stop that thing."

"Not so sure about Natsu," Wakaba said. "If he decided he didn't like anyone here, no one could stop him."

"Don't be such a downer," Cana scolded. "Natsu's been pretty ambivalent towards Fairy Tail for the past seven years. I highly doubt that he'd turn against us now. All we can do is hold these things off and keep 'em out of their way!"

"Let's take care of business!" Macao agreed. "Now let's do this!"

"Yeah!"

* * *

"Gray!" Mira and Elfman shouted at the same time. Gray looked up from where he was trying to revive Juvia.

"Hey, Elfman," Gray hollered back. "What's Mira doing here?"

"So you took down another of the Element Four, huh?" Elfman queried. "Why does she have that creepy grin on her face?"

"I don't know," Gray sighed. "Maybe she's have a nice dream, or something."

"Only one left!" Mira smiled grimly. "If we can defeat them, I think that'll stop the Abyss Break."

"Mira figured it out," Elfman said proudly. "The energy of the Element Four powers the giant!"

"We can do this!" Mira said. "Right, guys?" They both nodded. They were going to kick the last member's rear end from here to Crocus.

* * *

 **Lol good luck with that... I'll be back probably in early December.**

 **Reviews:**

 **Astroman1000: I don't think I will. Natsu's going to have his hands full with Gajeel. He's never fought another Dragon Slayer before, you see...**

 **Your Senpai's Lover: Have I ever told you that I love the awfulness of your name? Because I do. And I'm glad that you like this Natsu so much! (I do too.)**

 **IroshiyaEspecially: This is for everyone reading this, so I'm only going to answer this once: I have no idea if NaLu will happen or not. If you've read my rants, you know how I stand on NaLu. HOWEVER, even if I as a person don't like a shipping, if I as an author like it, then it'll happen.**

 **Right now, the answer looks like 'no'. I expect to lose readers for this, but hopefully you're too hooked on the story to quit. As of right now (notice the 'right now') there is no NaLu in the future. Their personalities bounce off each other too much for this to happen right now. Being an author, I delight in watching Natsu and Lucy bounce off each other in the show and such, but in this story, it would be forced, and I hate forced shippings.**

 **Stay true to your characters at all costs, even if it ruins your OTP. Stay true.**

 **So, I beg of you, review and keep your fingers crossed for the Valium to work, otherwise I may be too stressed to post until maybe mid December at the latest, and then I'll be busy writing Christmas and New Years special drabbles. I HATE planes.**


	42. Phantom Lord Arc: Oculus

**Guess who's back?** **Me! Yay! So, I wanted to say thanks to those of you who wished me good luck; the plane trip was fine, and I had a lot of fun being with my family. I suppose that some explanation as to why I was gone so long is in order.**

 **Well, first, I had a no-writing rule because I was hanging out with family. Then, when we came back, it turns out, no freaking wifi! I had to go all weekend with no way to write this story, which made me sad. I like this story. And then... well... I might have... been playing on my brother's Xbox... HehasareallyfunboatracinggamethattotallyinspiredasceneinMidori. And I've been playing it ever since. IT'S SO MUCH FUN. I was also playing Halo 4. Who says girls can't be gamers? But whatever. Here's the story.  
**

* * *

"Oh," Lucy said softly. "So Mira put me to sleep."

"Oui. This is our emergency hideout."

"I guess they just didn't want me to fight," Lucy murmured. "I know that I can't do much without my keys… but I'm not helpless."

"It's not like that at all," Reedus said as he painted a picture of her. "We want to protect one of our own. That's all."

"But still!" she protested. "I can't just sit here and do nothing while they're all fighting to protect the guild! I have to go back and help them."

"I can't let you do that," Reedus said quietly. "Mira gave me strict orders to keep you here."

"That's not fair!" Lucy shouted as the building rumbled. Someone or something began to slam against the door. "What's that?! Who's trying to break in?!"

"Just stand back, Lucy," Reedus said as he mixed his paint.

* * *

A low growl appeared in Natsu's throat. So far, all he had managed to do was get seriously ticked off at Aria. He hadn't been able to land a single blow. _Hate to admit it, but the cat's right. This guy is on a completely different level than Erigor, and I was only able to defeat him by using that. And of course, if I use that, I have to kill anyone who sees it, and Fairy Tail and the Council won't take it kindly if I kill Happy and Aria, respectively. I'd have to go into hiding_ _ **again**_ _, and wait it out, and even then, Fairy Tail's gonna be out for my blood till I kill them or they die off like flies._

"Impressive," Aria said. "I'm amazed you can still stand."

"You underestimate my power," Natsu growled. _Natsu won't admit it,_ Happy thought worriedly, _but he's hurting. I heard bones breaking with that last attack._ Natsu ran towards Aria.

"Let's see how you fare against my Airspace magic," Aria continued _._ Natsu didn't see anything, but he forgot that some types of air magic were invisible. He bounced off the spell like a bird hitting a window. He had seen it several times before; it was actually kind of funny. "You're much stronger than I thought, Salamander," Aria noted.

"I can take whatever you dish out," Natsu smirked. "I'm all fired up now, so lemme see what you've got!"

* * *

"See?" Elfman said smugly. "Look at it now."

"Yeah, it's definitely writing the spell much slower than before," Gray nodded.

"So we were right," Mira smiled. Gray listed the elements.

"Fire. Water. Air. And Earth."

"Just like we were saying," Elfman said. "The giant and the spell get their power from the elements."

"That's the true combined power of the Element Four," Mira stated. "Three have been defeated. Totomaru of the Great Flame was taken out with Jupiter. Elfman totally annihilated Sol of the Great Earth. And Juvia of the Great Sea was taken out of the equation by Gray."

"So there's one left," Elfman said grimly.

"If we stop him, we stop the giant and the Abyss Break."

"Do you have any idea who the last element is?" Gray asked.

"Aria of the Great Sky," she replied. "And he'll be the toughest to beat. He's the strongest member of the Element Four. He's also the one who drained the master of his magic, leaving him powerless.

* * *

Porlyusica turned. She could have sworn she heard a noise. There was nothing, but Makarov looked much better. _Must be imagining things._

* * *

Natsu snarled under his breath. This was getting very annoying. "You're still standing after my attack," Aria noted. "Very impressive." Natsu hadn't gotten around to repairing his armor that much, so it was still broken pretty badly, and this guy's attacks were not helping.

"Is this seriously the best you've got?" Natsu chuckled. "I guess I was right when I said that Phantom was full of weaklings."

" **Airspace: Sever!** " Using his keen hearing, Natsu was able to avoid the worst of the attack, but it still hit him hard. _My armor can't take much more of this. I need to take him down._ "There's always someone better, my young dragon." Natsu snorted softly. Both remarks weren't true, but Aria didn't know that.

"I've never met someone better than me," Natsu said. "I'm not in the mood to kill a bunch of people, but I'll have to if I stop holding back. **Fire Dragon: Roar!** " Aria vanished. "Crap! Where'd he go?"

"I shall end this with a gift," Aria announced from nowhere. "I will allow you to join your master in his suffering." _No._ He appeared behind Natsu. Catching his scent almost instantly, Natsu turned as quickly as he could. It wasn't fast enough. " **Airspace: Ruin!** " Natsu screamed as the magic hit him.

A wizard's magic was an integral part of him. To remove it would be equivalent to removing a lung, or some other organ. The more powerful a wizard was, the worse off they would be when their magic was removed. Natsu's own magic had twisted and warped and changed him to the degree that taking his magic was equivalent to a death sentence. _Is this it? Will it finally end? No. It won't. I always escape._

"So sad!" Aria sobbed. "Yes, because any wizard caught in my airspace will be completely drained of their powers!" _I can feel it… All of my power falling away like water…_

"No!" Natsu roared. A deadly light appeared in his eyes. He had been deprived of his magic once, a long time ago, before it had twisted around his soul quite so tightly. It wasn't going to happen again. However, before he could act on the urge, Erza appeared and kicked Aria, interrupting the spell. Natsu slowly stood as Aria vanished. "What the hell, woman?" he demanded. "I had it under control. Besides, you shouldn't even be out of bed after taking a hit like that."

Erza turned and glared at Natsu. He wasn't fazed, but it would scare the crap out of most of their guild members. She turned the stare to Aria as he reformed.

"So you're the one who did this to our master." It was not a question.

"The great Erza Scarlet," Aria noted. "How unfortunate. It seems the brilliant Titania will lose her head alongside the Salamander."

"Our master suffered greatly by your hand," Erza snarled. "I will avenge him." Natsu frowned.

"You sure about this?" Erza nodded. "Ok, then. I'm sure that your swords will be better than my fire anyway." He sat down on the stairs with a slight rattle as he settled in to watch the short battle.

"Well," Aria chuckled. "Now that I'm faced with a worthy opponent, I supposed it's time I start taking my battles more seriously." If Natsu had been any more hot tempered and spontaneous, he probably would have thrown himself at Aria and attempt to beat him up. Said air wizard grasped the wrappings around his eyes and pulled them off. _The fact that he's kept his eyes covered means that he has some kind of ocular magic_ , Natsu mused. _Maybe something that makes him more powerful?_ Aria's pink eyes separated into quarters and moved away from each other. _Now that's messed up._

* * *

"His eyes?" Gray asked. "What about them?"

"Evidently," Mira said, "Aria keeps his eyes covered with bandages. He does this to help control his overwhelming magic."

"So it's all in his eyes?" Elfman pondered.

"That's right. So when we find him, we have to beat him before he opens his eyes. Because if that happens, we don't stand a chance at victory."

* * *

Mages below panicked as the Abyss Break began to glow. "What's happening?!"

"The magic circle's glowing!"

"It's complete?!"

"Yup!" Wakaba said. "Looks like our goose is cooked!"

* * *

Loke ran past the worried townspeople. _Come on, guys,_ he thought. _Don't give up! We can do this! We're counting on you!_

* * *

"Now, Titania," Aria said. Wind began to swirl around him. "Step into Zero, airspace of death!" Natsu wasn't too concerned. He was close enough to be able to take the blow if necessary. But he was fairly sure that she would be fine. "It consumes the lives of all who dare to enter!" She didn't move as the dust engulfed her.

"A spell that _consumes_ life?!" Erza asked as she pulled out a sword. Her voice was as sharp and deadly as one of her swords. Natsu had to smile; out of all of his guildmates, this one was his favorite. "Tell me! How can you do this? How can you just take lives so easily?! You scoundrel!"

"It'd be more fun to show you!" As she ran towards him, he said, "Let's see just how well you handle _this_ , Titania!" She dodged the shining lights and began slicing. "Impossible! You've cut through my airspace! No!"

" **Heaven's Wheel! Blumenblatt!** "

"One hit," Natsu noted, standing as Aria fell to the ground. "Impressive." She ignored him.

"Someone like you could never hold a candle to the strength of our master. You'll be remembered as a sobbing coward who fell by my hand."

"That's… so sad…"

* * *

Everyone was panicking more than ever down below. Some, like Cana, were trying to keep some semblance of order. But silence fell as the magic circle faded away and the light in the giant's eyes faded. It began to rumble as it went limp. Cheering started.

* * *

"Now what?" Natsu grumbled as Erza's armor vanished and she collapsed. "Aw, crap. Now she's asleep."

* * *

"Yes!" Mira cheered. "We did it! We stopped the Abyss Break spell from being cast!"

"Cuz we're awesome!"

"Ha! You know it!"

"All of the members of the Element Four have been defeated!"

* * *

 **Yay! New chapter! Review time, too!**

 **Your Senpai's Lover: Well, I'm back! I'm glad that you're still following!**

 **Nom and meap: While I don't get dizzy like you, I tend to remember that we are crazy high and if the engines fail we're all doomed. But who cares about such trivial things?**

 **AMMiss: I'm glad you think so highly of my writing! As you can see, I had a safe trip and arrived home safe and sound.**

 **Guest: Don't worry, I won't stop making more chapters until this darn story in finished.**

 **MimiSaka: *throws chapter from a distance* Here you go! I'm glad that you care so much about this story!**

 **Wolves silver wind: I hear ya, about not having time. Don't worry, it's perfectly fine. I feel the same way. I'm so in love with this story, and I can't wait to hear from all of you wonderful people every time I post a new chapter.**

 **My room is completely unpacked, so updates should come a little more quickly. WARNING: My schooling has started up again, so I won't have all day to write unless it's like Saturday. Sunday is for Skyrim. I feel that I should warn you... I'm going to take a community collage course in the spring semester.**

 ***My awesome readers* NO!**

 **Chill. It's just one class and I should have plenty of time to write. Hopefully. And it's an acting class, too, so it shouldn't be too hard. Have fun reading this! I need to go to bed, and this A/N is getting long. So be safe, enjoy this chapter responsibly, and as always, review!**


	43. Phantom Lord Arc: Iron

"Guess they took out the Element Four," Loke grinned. "That'll show 'em!" Just then, the safe house exploded.

"Reedus!" Lucy exclaimed. "Are you ok?!"

"Oui…"

"Well, aren't you a stubborn one?" Boze smirked.

"It's over, Tubby," Sue said. Gajeel was hanging upside down behind them, his presence giving them courage while instilling fear in them at the same time. "You might as well give up. So just hand over the brat."

"Our boss doesn't like to wait." Gajeel chuckled.

"Lucy," Reedus grunted as he painted another attack. "Run while you still can."

"And leave you?! I'll stay here and fight!"

"Please, for the sake of the guild, do it!"

"But…"

"Oh, stop it, I'll cry," Gajeel mocked.

"Oh, how touching," Sue crooned.

"I like where this is going," Boze smirked.

" **Picto Magic: Roar of Silver!** "

"Wow, Vulcans, huh?" Boze said. "Just like they got on Mount Hakobe!"

" **Mirror Magic: Form Mirror!** " Sue shouted, getting between the attack and Boze. "My mirrors will reflect any attackright back at you!" Reedus gasped in horror just before the Vulcans landed on him. "There, ya see?"

 _Reedus!_ Lucy thought as she finally began to run away. _I'm so sorry!_ Gajeel kicked her away from the doorway, though.

"You're gonna leave Fatty here to take the fall?" he asked playfully as he landed. "That's not nice. I've never seen such a sad excuse for a guild. They let just anyone join Fairy Tail?"

"Take that back!"

"You gonna make me?"

"Hey, big guy," Boze smirked. " **Sound Blast: Howling!** "

"Reedus!" Lucy screamed as he fell.

"Weak," Gajeel spat. "Do you like hangin' out with guys like that, Princess?"

"You…" Lucy growled. She was angry now. "You monster! You're gonna pay for this."

Loke crouched not far away from the safe house. He watched as Gajeel jumped out from a hole in the roof, carrying an unconscious Lucy.

"Why'd the giant stop?" Gajeel muttered. "What's goin' on?!" Gajeel turned as he sensed someone coming at him. Dropping the arm he used to protect himself, he smirked. "Heck of a way to say hello!" he laughed.

"What do you think you're doing with Lucy?" Loke asked in a bored tone. "If you don't let her go right now… you'll be sorry. That is, if you live to see tomorrow."

"Oh, really?" Gajeel gasped sarcastically as he dropped Lucy. "I was hoping for a little more fun. I'll play with ya!" Gajeel turned his arm into a club and shot it at him. Loke jumped high into the air, shouting as his Ring Magic activated.

Lucy's eyes fluttered open. "Loke…?"

 _What's with this guy?_ Gajeel wondered as he dodged all of Loke's attacks. _Something feels off about him… He's not some ordinary holder-type wizard chump…_

"So just who are you, anyway?" Gajeel asked. "And why don't ya smell right?"

"Quit smelling me," Loke said, wiping a trickle of blood off the corner of his mouth. "I don't enjoy being sniffed by men." He grunted in pain as his body began to shimmer and become distorted. _Not now!_ Gajeel laughed and slammed Loke through the roof.

"Guess I was wrong," he chuckled. "You weren't much of a challenge after all. Hey, I'm hauling Blondie back to the boss. You two take care of lover-boy here."

"Got it."

"You're not going anywhere…" Loke grunted.

" **Sound Blast: Disturbed!** " He screamed in pain.

" **Mirror Magic: Thousand Mirrors!** " He was trapped inside a bevy of mirrors, with no way out. "It's a good thing you like looking at your own pathetic face," she smirked. "Cause it's the only thing you're gonna see for a while."

"I don't believe it," Jose muttered. "My strongest wizards, the Element Four, were completely wiped out by that worthless Fairy Tail scum?!"

"People beaten by scum are just scum themselves," Gajeel remarked as he entered.

"Gajeel," he said. "So you've returned bearing a gift, have you?"

"Yeah, I picked you up a little something while I was out," Gajeel said as he dropped Lucy to the ground.

"Oh, very impressive, my boy," Jose applauded. "How were you able to track her down so quickly?"

"Don't underestimate a Dragon Slayer's sense of smell."

"She is alive, right? Without a pulse, she's useless to us."

"Hmm," Gajeel thought. "I _was_ pretty rough with her." He gave her a nasty kick in the gut. "Let's see!" She hit the wall with a cry of pain, coughing as she hit the ground. "Looks alive to me!"

"Excellently done, Gajeel! I knew I could count on you."

Natsu was debating what to do with Erza's unconscious form. If he was a pervert like the other men in the guild - No. He didn't want to think about that. A bell dinged. "Attention, you pathetic Fairy Tail worms. Listen carefully because I'll only say it once." _Jose._ Lucy screamed, sending chills up his spine. There it was again, the intense urge to protect her. Her scream made him angry for some reason. "We have captured your precious Lucy Heartfillia." _Yeah, I noticed._ "Which means our first order of business is out of the way." _First?! What the hell is he planning?!_ "That leaves us with just one more thing… my favorite part."

"Let me guess," Natsu groaned. "He wants to destroy Fairy Tail."

"Wiping all of you miserable brats off the face of the earth."

"Called it."

"Natsu!" Happy scolded.

"What? I did!"

"Please… forgive me… Lucy," Reedus groaned. "I couldn't protect you… Sorry… Lucy…"

Loke punched one of the mirrors. _I_ _ **knew**_ _something was wrong. I shouldn't have waited. I should have been here sooner. But… I was afraid. I was too scared to be near Lucy… and… now she's gone._ Tears streamed down his face. "I'm pathetic!" he shouted. "She's right… I do look absolutely pathetic…"

 _Don't I, Karen?_

"Keep an eye on the girl," Jose said as he left the room. "There are still some pests scuttling around my guildhall."

"Talking about Salamander?"

"Yes… him." His tone suggested that he didn't look forward to meeting Dragneel. "And his friends. They've been lucky thus far, but their luck is about to come to an end. I'm going to exterminate them myself!"

"Well, crap," Natsu said. "They've got the blonde. Now what do I do?" Erza stirred.

"Natsu…"

"Darn, I was hoping that you kicked the bucket. Oh well. There's always tomorrow." Erza ignored him. She was used to it.

"Listen," she whispered. "Use your strength… It lies dormant… deep down… inside you…"

"I can't use it," he murmured. "Not that."

"Yes… you can… your magic is strong… Believe in yourself… Find it… Find your strength… Awaken it!" Natsu's eyes widened. "Protect Lucy… Protect the guild! Do it now, Natsu! I know you don't care like we do, but think of us! Use your heart! Awaken the dragon inside!" Natsu closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The air around him began to shimmer and heat up. _Awaken the dragon, huh? Let's try this._ He roared as the flames exploded, taking the form of a dragon. Power flooded through him as he felt himself get stronger, if only by a little.

 _Phantom's going down._


	44. Phantom Lord Arc: Dragon Flight

**Ok, before you get mad at me, yes, I know that I'm an awful person. I promised you that updates would start at the beginning of this month, and I've been slacking off. I've just been enjoying various video games. And Facebook. On the upside, I have a Twitter now. It's Monster Cat Girl, if you want to check it out. If you do, the picture there is me as an anime character, so you'll get an idea of what I look like.**

 **I can't think of anything else to say, so read on!**

* * *

"Natsu," Makarov muttered as his eyes opened. "That's Natsu."

"Makarov?" Porlyusica asked in surprise as she turned. "How are you feeling?" He sat up. "Not yet. You still need to rest." He ignored her and slid out of bed.

"Since when do I listen to you?" he grouched.

"A remarkably speedy recovery for one your age," she noted after a moment.

"Is that so?" Makarov said as he pulled on his jacket. "I could do without that last part, though."

"Do you hasten to your death?" Porlyusica asked with a hint of sadness.

"I will take the chance. My children need me now." Pausing at the door, he added, "Thank you for your help." _I swear_ , she thought as she remembered their shared youth. _Nothing changes with him._

* * *

"Erza?" she heard Mira gasp. Erza opened her eyes and did her best to smile at the Strausses and Gray.

"Is she ok?" Gray wondered.

"Man, this place got trashed," Elfman whistled.

"It's you," she smiled.

"Erza, you're injured; you shouldn't be here," Gray admonished.

"Yeah," Mira agreed. "You're not really looking too good."

"Whoa!" Elfman gasped upon noticing Aria.

"That's Aria!" Mira said.

"You got shot by that cannon and still fought this guy?!" Elfman said.

"What the heck were you thinking?" Gray demanded. "Hold on…"

"You beat him on your own?!" Mira asked with wide eyes.

"I must admit," Erza said, "I never wanted anyone to see me in such a wretched state. I guess I still have a lot to learn…" A sudden feeling of darkness and evil and pure terror descended upon them.

"What the…?" Gray muttered.

"What is it?" Mira wondered

"I sense death!" Erza growled.

"I don't like this feeling," Gray said as he glanced at the shadows invading the room.

"I'm super manly and it gives _me_ chills…"

"Whatever it is," Mira said. "It's pure evil!" A slow clapping filled the air.

"Bravo," Jose said. "You are all quite keen. Very impressive, Fairy Tail wizards." He was radiating dark magic. "I knew this would be fun, but never in my wildest dreams did I think that it would be this entertaining. You annihilated the Jupiter cannon, disposed of my elite Element Four, and you even managed to bring my magic giant to its knees."

"Master Jose," Erza snarled.

"This creep?!"

"He's Phantom's master?!"

 _So much evil magic…_ Mira thought with her hand over her mouth. _Just facing him makes me feel sick!_

"Now then," Jose said. "You've been so kind to entertain me; I simply _must_ return the favor. I'll return it in full…"

" **Ice Make: Saucer!** "

" **Beast Arm!** "

"No!" Erza screamed. "Don't do it!"

"How absurd!" Jose cackled as purple skulls flew toward the boys.

"Elfman!" Mira shrieked. "Gray!" Jose's next attack took the guys out of commission, and Mira too. Erza flew toward Jose with a sword. A funnel of magic shot toward her. She easily dodged and requiped into her Black Wing armor as she leapt into the air. Her sword missed its target. Jose grabbed her arm and smirked, throwing her across the room. Erza landed lightly on a rock, taking a few more steps back. She had to be careful.

"Fascinating," Jose said. "As I recall, you took a full blast from the Jupiter cannon. How are you able to stand now?"

"Only because," she panted, "my friends have filled my heart with strength. I will withstand any physical pain to protect the ones that I love!"

"Powerful, courageous, and exquisitely beautiful. Destroying you will bring me unbelievable pleasure…"

* * *

Lucy cried out in pain as Gajeel threw her against a wall.

"Hmm," he said. "You gotta sing better than that. Too bad. Your heart's just not in it."

"Gajeel," some Phantom members said. "Y-You need to stop. Things'll get ugly if you keep this up."

"But what else am I supposed to do?" he complained. "I can't believe he's doin' that. He leaves me to watch over Blondie here, while he gets to have all the fun. Anyway, I'm just playing with my new toy."

"Yeah, but if the master catches you doing this, we're all gonna be in trouble." Gajeel gave him an iron pole to the face.

"Shut up. I know Master thinks she's important, but she's just Fairy scum to me. Even though she's a girl, she's still a wizard. She should have known what she was getting into when she joined the guild."

"You're taking this way too far, man," Boze said nervously. "Let it go."

"Master's gonna lose it," Sue sighed. "Isn't he?"

"Well, then I'll tell him it was all your idea," Gajeel laughed.

"Please don't do that."

"I kind of feel sorry for her," Gajeel said. "Her fellow guild members didn't even want her back until they found out her old man was rich." Lucy smirked.

"Geez, you're dumb," she said as she stood. "I can barely even believe it. It's just sad… I actually feel sorry for you."

"Oh?"

"What's she thinking?!" Boze gasped. "Did she really just say that?"

"This chick's talking smack to Gajeel?" Sue said.

"Phantom Lord, huh? Ruler of the spirits? Oh, please. You don't scare me at all."

"You shouldn't have said that," Gajeel tisked as he slammed her against the wall again. "It takes some nerve to go running your mouth like that in a situation like this, Princess. I gotta admit, you got guts." He let her down, leaving Lucy to gasp for breath in pain. "Make some noise! But not this trash talkin' act you're puttin' on. I wanna hear you scream! And if I don't start getting what I want, you're gonna be sorry."

"Then why don't you just go ahead and do it?" Lucy grinned. "Finish me. Then you're gonna be sorry. Just you wait."

"Yeah? Who's gonna make me? I'm curious."

"Fairy Tail will never let you get away with this. They'll take revenge… They'll never stop… Every day you're all going to tremble in fear at the mere shadow of the most terrifying guild in the world. For as long as you live…"

"Sounds interesting. Let's see if you're right!" He pulled out a knife and threw it at her.

"Gajeel!"

"Stop!" He was mere feet away from her when the ground broke and erupted in flames the shape of a dragon. Gajeel could see a armored figure with a horned helmet standing in the flames between him and Lucy. He had caught the knife between his fingers. As it melted in his hands, he remarked, "In my experience, girls don't like it when you throw knives at them."

"I knew I smelled you," Gajeel smirked.

"Natsu!" Lucy smiled.

"Guess it ain't too hard to catch a Salamander if you use the right bait," Gajeel laughed. Natsu shrugged as the flames died down.

"Maybe. Unlike you Phantom creeps, though, I watch out for my guildmates. Wouldn't do me a whole lot of good if I was the last person in a guild. Besides, I'm getting rather fond of her. So leave a dragon's toy alone." Lucy wasn't sure what to think of his words. "Stay back," he warned her. "Territorial disputes are always nasty."

"Territorial disputes…?"

"Magnolia's my territory," Natsu said, slamming a fist into his palm. "And Gajeel's trespassing."

"Gajeel," one of the Phantom members said.

"Stay out of this," he barked. "This one's mine." Jumping at each other, a giant fight began. Natsu grabbed Gajeel's pole arm with flaming hands and threw him at a wall. The Iron Dragon Slayer merely used it as a springboard, throwing himself back at Natsu. He punched at Gajeel's guard, causing a large explosion.

"We've gotta get out of here!" the Phantom members cried out as they were caught up in the explosion. Emerging from the smoke after Gajeel, Natsu punched him in the jaw, sending him flying across the room. Gajeel rubbed his jaw from the wall crater he was in.

" **Fire Dragon Talon!** " Gajeel block it with a iron rod barely in time. Their clashing magic caused another explosion.

"Lucy!" Happy cried. "Are you alright?"

"Happy!" Lucy smiled, then glanced at the fight.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, it's just… I've never seen Natsu like this. I can feel his anger…"

"Aye. He's more fired up than ever before. I wouldn't want to be that other guy."

"For bein' Fairy scum, you sure are cocky," Gajeel noted.

"Wait… hold on… Nope, I'm afraid that I don't fit the definition of 'scum'. You, on the other hand, very much do." Natsu's eyes narrowed. "You had no problem beating up someone who had no chance to fight back. You declared war on people who gave you no provocation. I'd say that's what you'd call 'scum'." Lucy watched as the two Dragon Slayers duked it out further. Natsu jumped away as Gajeel's arm changed from a rod to a chainsaw. "Pretty nasty looking toy," Natsu said. "I like it."

"This is the Iron Dragon sword! It cuts apart anything it touches. I thought I'd give you an up close and personal demonstration!"

"Ooh, scary. Sword battle it is, then." A sword made of fire appeared in his hand, growing brighter until the light faded, leaving rock in its place. "Did you know that if fire gets hot enough, it turns into stone?" Through the cracks in the hilt, Lucy could see the pulsing red glow of his magic. She didn't like the black strands that would come through it, only to be burned away by red fire. The sword was engulfed by flames. "I only use this when hand-to-hand won't work very well. Enjoy!"

"How are they doing that?" Lucy gasped.

"Dragon Slayer magic!" Gajeel swung his sword in an overhead cut. Natsu quickly braced himself with a horizontal block. The shockwave sent Lucy and Happy flying into the wall.

"We seriously need to get out of here!" the Phantom members wailed.

Lucy had to admire Natsu's talent with a sword. He definitely prefered hand-to-hand combat, but he could easily go up against Erza with a sword. _How long has he trained? It takes years to get to the skill level he has for fighting. Longer than he's been alive!_

* * *

 **I cannot wait to see your reactions to the next chapter! Btw, have any of you seen Star Wars yet? If so, please talk to me. Please. Oh, and I'd also love to see what you guys think of Natsu's various comments. Try to put the pieces together. I keep giving them, one by one.**

 **Astroman1000: Bwahaha! We shall laugh evilly together! And things are 'heating up' in more ways than one. The story is moving forward.**

 **I thought I'd tell you guys. I'll be doing a bunch of arcs, e.g., canon up to the Oracion Seis arc. I'll complete that one, and then make my own arcs. Don't know how long that will go. But there is another arc. Oho, yes. An overlaying arc that I provide clues to throughout the story. At the end of the story, that arc will conclude, and we shall be sad, because the story is over.**

 **But take heart, my followers! There may come a day when this story ends! But it is NOT THIS DAY. THIS DAY WE READ (and I write)! :)**

 **So review please, and have a Merry Christmas!**


	45. Phantom Lord Arc: Black Furnace

**Hello! I'm doing ok with this, for once. I hope you guys have been enjoying this! Before we start, I wanted to answer a review. It was from a guest, although Writing bunny also asked this.**

I know that this sticks really closely to the canon, and almost isn't fanfiction. I get that. It's been one of my concerns from day one. Also, as Guest pointed out, I have 40+ chapters of rehashed canon. I do have a reason for not just summarizing it, and I hope that you will accept it, if this guest is reading. (Don't worry, I take all reviews as constructive criticism.)

I'm using the canon to set up my story, and unfortunately, this is taking a very long time. One of my weaknesses is rushing my stories. I realize that I'm going overboard here, but I am enjoying taunting you with each piece of the puzzle. :) As I said in the previous chapter, I'll be going off on my own after the Oracion Seis arc. There are so many things that I want to do, but I require the setup that the canon provides. I felt that I needed to establish Natsu and Lucy/Fairy Tail's relationship starting with Episode one.

This is for everyone who has a problem with how I write this: I have put out my reasons for writing MY story like this, and if you don't like them, you always have the option of not reading. My story is just one of thousands, and plenty of other people like it. I am always happy to accept your criticism, and I try to use it in a way to make the story better.

On a lighter note, I'm giving you a couple more hints. If you feel like it, try to put the pieces you have together. I'll be waiting...

* * *

Natsu could feel the strength of his sword weakening. He couldn't fight like this for too much longer, not without pouring more energy into the sword. That could be a mistake. Dodging furiously, he heard Gajeel laugh.

"Not blocking anymore? I think you're scared!" Jumping away, he let the sword turn to dust. "Oh! You're actually pretty nimble for a guy in armor!"

"You're no slouch yourself."

"I've always wanted to fight you," Gajeel said. "Don't meet many Dragon Slayers nowadays."

"I'm all fired up, Rivet Face!" _As Dragon Slayers, they both have the ability to take on mythical creatures powers,_ Lucy thought fearfully. _Which means two wizards who are strong enough to slay_ _ **dragons**_ _are about to duke it out right in front of me! I don't like where this is going!_

A magic circle appeared under Gajeel's feet. Iron scales began to cover his body. _Well, crap,_ Natsu decided.

"Are you ready, Fairy?!" _I hate Metalicana._ " **Iron Dragon Hard Fist!** " Natsu threw his arm up to block it. His gauntlet groaned. Natsu went flying into the wall. _I hate my life. Ow._

"What are we still doing here?!" Boze asked.

"I don't know!" Sue screeched. "But it's not smart!" Gajeel chuckled.

"Hearing you hit that wall was like music to my ears." _Ow._

Natsu frowned. While his gauntlets were for the most part good, Gajeel's iron hands hurt. He couldn't risk being hit ag- _Ow. Ow. Ow._ The other Dragon Slayer hit him again and again. Gajeel's kick missed, causing a gale.

"You gotta be kidding me! Wind pressure from a _kick_?!"

"His attacks are twice as strong now that he's covered in those dragon scales!" Natsu punched Gajeel in the face, but with no result.

"Poor little Fairy. That had to hurt, even with those shells. Do you need to go to Mama?" _Mother._ "Hate to break it to ya, but your puny hand can't even scratch this steel!"

" _Mom! Please, hold on! I'm sorry! I'm sorry… I didn't mean to… It was an accident. Please don't go! I'll… I'll hold my power back… I'll do anything! Just please don't leave us!"_

Natsu growled deep in his throat. He didn't like being reminded of his mother, even in the best of times. "I'll show you," he snarled.

"Shut yer trap, punk!" Gajeel cackled as he headbutted Natsu into the ground. "Quit trying to hang onto your pride!"

"All right, you walking garbage can! Time to blow you away! **Fire Dragon…** "

" **Iron Dragon…** "

"What?!"

"He's got a breath attack too!"

" **Roar!** "

" **Roar!** " Their magic cause an explosion that tore the roof off.

"Told you we should have run…" Boze groaned.

"I never said we shouldn't," Sue said dizzily.

"Look's like there are some pretty big differences between fire and iron dragons, huh, Salamander?" Gajeel said. Natsu glared at him from where he was taking a knee. "You can shower me with flame attacks until you run out of hot air. But it's not gonna crack my armor. On the other hand, just one of my breath attacks can rip both you and yer armor into shreds."

"Natsu," Lucy said softly. There had to be _something_ she could do to help.

"Come on…" Happy muttered. "Take him!"

"I can't crack your armor, huh?" Natsu chuckled. "Check again. Sure you're not feeling a draft?" A single crack appeared on Gajeel's eye. _His armor can be cracked. I've just got to keep that in mind, and I can take him down. No problem… hopefully._

"He did it!" Lucy gasped.

"Look," Natsu said, standing with a grunt. "I don't just breath regular old fire. A fire dragon's Roar can and will destroy everything in its path." Flames covered his body. "I think it's time we stopped playing around. Let's get down to the real fight. I'm gonna shatter you into a million pieces!" Gajeel laughed with glee.

"Let's go!"

"Whoa," a member of Phantom said. "They were just testing each other?!"

"They weren't fighting for real?!" Sue gasped.

"They some kind of monsters?" Boze wondered.

"That's how Dragon Slayers are!" Happy said.

"They're amazing!" Lucy whispered.

"Black Steel," Natsu said, gesturing for him to bring it, "I'm ready when you are."

"The sky's not big enough for two dragons," Gajeel smirked. "So I'm just gonna hafta take you down, Salamander!" Natsu heard a crashing sound mixed with people's cries, but ignored them. Their fight took them up and above the guild hall. To the onlookers, it looked like fireworks. The Phantom members were astounded to see that Natsu was keeping up with Gajeel, blow for blow.

Gajeel's spine crawled as he saw Natsu. Their fight had take a large chip out of his visor, and the look he was giving him was scary. All he could see was a single brown eye filled with murderous rage. _I need a power boost._ He began chomping on metal, of which there was plenty.

"Now that's not fair," Natsu complained. "I don't have any fire!"

After he swallowed, he smirked, "Now I've got a fire in my belly!"

"That's my line!"

"Say goodnight, Fairy," Gajeel grinned. " **Iron Dragon Spear: Demon Logs!** " Natsu was cut in several different places. Lucy gasped in horror as one hit him full in the chest. "Fairy shish kabob! Nice!"

"Natsu!" she screamed. Natsu lay back on the floor, gasping in pain. _These things are sharper than I thought._ He slowly pulled it out, gritting his teeth in pain. The blood stained piece of iron clattered to the floor. Natsu tightly pressed his hand to the wound, summoning the remaining dregs of magic to heal the wound.

"Ow." He sat up. "Now you've pissed me off!"

"Fire…" Lucy muttered. "Fire… I can't remember, do I have a fire celestial spirit?!" Then she remembered that she lost her keys the other day. Natsu's body slammed into a pillar. His rage, which usually empowered him, was no match for a real power up like a good meal would give. "All I have on me is this Sagittarius key I recently got. I haven't even made a contract yet, but… But I don't care! This is the only chance we've got right now!"

Natsu vaguely heard Lucy summoning a spirit. Part of him wondered where in the world she got a key, but the rest of him really didn't care. The part of him that did sort of care was surprised to see that she summoned a guy in a horse costume.

"Lucy," he warned. "I thought I told you to stay out of my way! **Fire Dragon Sword Horn!** " Unfortunately, it didn't work. Gajeel punched Natsu into the ground, then used him to sweep the floor. _Ow…_ His armor would hold up much longer if he kept taking a beating like this. Gajeel threw him at the opening in the wall. He didn't go through, but he came close.

"He's down?" Lucy whispered. "Natsu's down? No… This can't be happening! Natsu can't just lose, can he? Get up!"

"Hey," Gajeel laughed. "Take a look at your guild hall. We're doing some redecorating!" Natsu raised his head in time to see the building collapse. He ignored Gajeel's cackle.

 _Kokino was skipping alongside of Natsu as they walked. "Hey, Natsu?" she asked._

 _"Yeah?"_

 _"Do you think we can join a wizards guild?" Natsu shrugged._

 _"I don't care. Maybe we could make one, or we could join one like you said."_

 _"Well, I think that being in a guild would be super cool!" He couldn't help but grin at the little red head._

 _"Alright, fine. We'll see what we can do about a guild."_

 _"Yay! I love you, Natsu!"_

 _"I love you too, you little gremlin."_

* * *

 _"Look, old man," Natsu said. "I'm looking for a place to work. This_ _ **is**_ _a wizard guild, right?"_

 _"Yup! It's called Fairy Tail."_

 _"Weird name."_

 _"Yes, but you see, no one knows whether or not fairies have tails, or if they even exist! Thus the name signifies eternal mystery, eternal adventure, and our member are the kind of wizards who will try to end the mystery."_

 _"Seems like my kind of guild," Natsu smirked. "I'd like to join, if you'd let me."_

 _"How do you like the guild, Natsu?"_

 _"Eh, it's fine as guilds go, I guess. Really loud, though. And that Ice wizard gets on my nerves. But it's ok so far, I guess."_

* * *

 _The birth of Happy… Lisanna… How she died… How the only person he truly cared had been killed… Standing in front of her grave, glaring at it as if it might bring her back. One after another, those he dared to love had been murdered._

 _"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I should have been there."_

* * *

 _This place has been my home for nearly seven years,_ Natsu thought. _Not too long, but enough for me to get somewhat attatched. But for the other… for my guild mates… this is all they have. And Phantom_ _ **destroyed**_ _it…_

 _I'll make them pay._

* * *

Natsu stood slowly. He was low on magic, but the pain and rage and - surprisingly - grief at the destruction of the building gave him strength. He remembered how much Lucy had adored Fairy Tail even before joining. How adamant she was to remain.

 _Kokino, Fuyu… you two have rubbed off on me far too much for my taste._ The blood and the fire that their names showed him made him even angrier. He gave Gajeel a murderous glare as he staggered forward. _I don't want anyone else to feel the way I do… if that means I go against my standards, then so be it! I'll take revenge for Fairy Tail. I am hatred; I am vengeance._

 _I will destroy them._

* * *

 **And Gajeels' about to get his head handed to him. Not actually, of course. That would mean ruining one of my OTP's, and I'm not about to do that!**

 **Or am I?**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, so have fun and review! By the way...**

 **HOLYFREAKINGCRAPIGOTANIPHONEFORCHRISTMASI'MSOFREAKINGHAPPYANDIT'SANIPHONE5sI'MSOINCREDIBLYHAPPY.**


	46. Phantom Lord Arc: The Master's Light

**I was checking my email yesterday and discovered I have three new followers. They wouldn't happen to be you guys, would they?**

* * *

"Your guild hall's in shambles," Gajeel smirked. "How does it feel to lose?" Natsu reared back to punch him, but was too slow. The other Dragon Slayer hit him into the wall. _I need fire. Something… I can't fight like this… Not even my anger will work…_ "I'd stay down if I were you. I'm startin to get bored with all of this 'holding back' garbage… and it's not gonna be good for you." Natsu looked up and gave him a death glare through the chip.

"If I wanted to kill you," he panted, "I would. But if I do, I'll kill everyone here. I'm not in the mood to run from the council again." _I took down the Jupiter and I fought two of Phantom's five elite. I used too much energy…_

"Natsu wouldn't lose if only he had fire to eat!" Happy wailed.

"So long, Fairy," Gajeel chuckled, activating his Iron Dragon Sword. _This is it. My secret will be revealed._

"I see," Sagittarius said, pulling out his bow. "It seems there was a bit of a misunderstanding. You asked if I can shoot fire, thus I answered 'no'. However it seems shooting fire is not the key here… but fire itself, correct?"

"This is it, Salamander!" Gajeel shouted gleefully. "The end!"

 _I'm sorry._

Before Gajeel could bring down the sword, though, the spirit's arrows caused the machinery behind him to explode.

"Nice shot!" Happy cheered.

"You found a way to create fire," Lucy whispered.

"Depending on the force when applied to shooting an arrow, and the trajectory that arrow follows, it's possible to pierce or shatter steel."

"What the heck is that horse thing?" Gajeel wondered. Natsu ignored Lucy gushing over her spirit as he bathed in the warm glow of the fire, slowly sucking it up. _Kill them_ , the voices whispered. _Kill all of them, for they are beneath you…_

 _Shut up,_ he told them. They did. He quickly sucked up the rest of the fire.

"Just what I needed," he chuckled. While the anger in his eye had faded, the insane glee in his eyes was a thousand times more frightening. "Thanks, Lucy. I'd say we're even now."

"Eat all the fire you want!" Gajeel shouted, rushing Natsu. "You're still not gonna beat me!" Natsu glanced at him, but didn't move. However, the explosion surrounding his knocked Gajeel back. He slammed into a rather large piece of the giant, cracking it and knocking it over. "Grr… **Iron Dragon Roar!** " Natsu merely lifted a hand to deflect it. "He deflected my breath attack with just his bare hands?!"

"You know," Natsu said, leveling his maniac gaze on Gajeel. "When I was younger, people had a little nickname for me. It really doesn't matter if you're a phantom lord, or anything, to be honest. Because I'm the _demon lord._ "

"I can't lose to him…" Gajeel muttered. "It's impossible! He's nothing but Fairy scum!"

"I thought we established that you're the scum," Natsu mused. "But no matter. Messing with me and my guild is the biggest mistake you've ever made!"

"The only mistake I made was not killing you sooner!"

"You can't kill me," Natsu grinned. "Nothing can!"

"Don't get cocky, scum! **Iron Dragon: Hard Fist!** " Natsu simply raised a fist and let Gajeel's attack hit it. The iron armor began to shatter, cracks spreading like wildfire.

"It's over, Black Steel! **Flames Lotus: Fire Dragon Fist!** " Natsu roared like the dragons of old. He continued to hit Gajeel, over and over. Another part of the building exploded as the giant's head fell off. Oh, he was enjoying this. To annihilate someone like this? Perfection. Happy was carrying Lucy when the head fell.

"Natsu!" they called,

"Oh, there he is," Happy said. The flames were dying down around him.

"You… can't… defeat me…"

"Oh yeah? I think I just did." He sat down roughly, exhaustion pulling at him. "Well, that was fun, but I think I'm gonna rest a bit…"

* * *

Erza barely glanced around as the building fell apart around them. _Is that Natsu?_

"My, what an unruly dragon," Jose smiled.

"He may be unruly," Erza panted, never letting her guard down, "but he's also one of our most powerful fighters. His skills far surpass my own."

"There's no need to be so modest, Titania Erza," Jose said. "Your magic is just as spectacular as Salamander's. You're the first wizard who's last this long against me in battle. Truth be told, we'd be more equally matched in power if you hadn't taken a direct hit from the Jupiter cannon earlier today… You know what really irks me about Fairy Tail? The fact that there are so many powerful wizards like yourself who allied with Makarov." He flicked an invisible blast of magic at her, sending her into a wall. "Since you can't be tempted to join Phantom, there's only one way to change that… Kill you!" He shot multiple blasts of purple magic at her. Erza could barely keep ahead of them.

"I'll send the old coot into deep despair," Jose promised. "Imagine how he'll feel when he awakens to find his dear guild hall has been destroyed and his children dead and gone… He'd be lost, completely consumed by sorrow. Once he's been reduced to that miserable state, I can swoop in and kill him. But first I'll make him suffer. I'll torture him until he has no choice but to wither and die." Erza, enraged, slashed at Jose. He reappeared, unharmed, behind her. "As long as I can remember, Phantom Lord has always' been at the top. We have the most powerful wizards with the strongest spells. We also had more capital and more members than any other guild…

"However, recently Fairy Tail has begun to catch up and our position as leader was in jeopardy. The names 'Erza', 'Mystogan', and 'Laxus' became widely known. And stories of the mysterious and feared Salamander spread across the land like wildfire. Now Phantom Lord and Fairy Tail are considered equals; the top two guilds representing this kingdom.

"The thought disgusts me. I _refuse_ to be acquainted with such a feeble guild!"

"Silence!" Erza roared, swiping at him. "So, we're fighting for our lives because you had a fit of _jealousy?!_ "

"Jealousy? That's absurd. We simply wanted to prove to the kingdom that we are the dominant guild."

"How could you?" she spat. "And for such a petty reason?!" Erza's attacks were all in vain. Jose finally got tired of playing with her and knocked her sword out of her hand. The evil purple skulls wrapped themselves around her, causing her to scream.

"I've never been fond of your guild, but was something trivial that started the war. We were hired by the patriarch of the Heartfilia family to find his missing daughter. One of this kingdom's richest socialites, a member of _Fairy Tail_? So Makarov's trying to _buy_ his way to the top, isn't he?!" Erza screamed in pain. "With unfettered access to the Heartfilia fortune, you would undoubtedly grow far more powerful than us! That is the one thing we cannot allow!" Jose's eyes widened at her smirk.

"It's laughable how concerned you are about something as silly as your guild's ranking. But I'm even more amused by how incredibly misinformed you are about Lucy!"

"What?"

"She came to us as a runaway! She doesn't have access to her family's fortune! She rents a place for seventy-thousand Jewel a month. She works hard to make a living. She fights alongside us; she laughs with us; she cries with us! She's no different than any other member of our guild! And she's why we're at war?! She may be the daughter of the Heartfilia family. But just as flower don't get to choose where they bloom, children don't get to choose their parents! You don't know anything about Lucy or the tears she's shed!"

"Well, I'll find out soon enough!" Jose snapped. "I'm not going to hand her over to her father without reaping a benefit! I'll make her my prisoner until her father meets my demands! I'm going to bleed the Heartfilia family of their fortune and their precious money making businesses!"

"Curse you!" Erza shouted at she struggled to break free.

"I wouldn't keep struggling if I were you. You'll only make things worse." Erza screamed as it felt like her very soul was being ripped out. "You're not feeling very well, are you, dear? You're going to have to buck up because it's almost time! I want you to make an appearance before your peers. Once they see their beloved Erza in such a pitiful state, they're sure to surrender to us!"

"You're a despicable man!" Erza shouted as he laughed.

"No, no, insulting me like that isn't going to help your situation." He laughed as he made her scream. _I'd rather die than cause my guildmates to surrender. I leave the rest to you, Natsu…_ Her fallen sword floated from the ground and pointed itself at her heart. Inches from her back, a righteous roll of thunder sounded. Erza gasped as she recognized the feel of the magic. Her armor began to repair itself. _But how?_ Jose's magic was dispelled from her body as she floated to the ground. Light poured in through the windows. Makarov floated down to a large piece of rubble.

"You have shed the blood of our children," Makarov growled. "And that is unforgivable! They have been made to suffer because of the incompetence of their parents. We are both to blame, Jose. This war between us has gone on long enough. This must be ended!" Erza wiped away a tear of joy.

"Master…" Jose closed his eyes. When they opened, the whites of his eyes had turned black with yellow irises.

"You wish for a catastrophe, then?" A bright light absorbed a single one of Makarov's fingers.

"If it's for my guild's sake, then yes!" Stones floated in the air from the sheer force of the magic in the room.

Gray awoke to a warm feeling inside. The light reminded him of the master for some reason. When he looked up, he saw Jose and Makarov preparing to duke it out. Jose made the first move. Makarov opened several magic circles, blocking the attacks.

"You kids need to get out!" Makarov ordered.

"Gramps!" Elfman shouted.

"We'll stay with you!" Gray added.

"No!" Erza barked. "We have to do as he says! Let's go!"

"But Erza!"

"Sis, you think you can stand?"

"Well," Jose smirked, "now that you're here, I have no interest in those 'children' of yours. I'll exterminate those pests after I've finished you off."

"If we stay here," Erza explained, "we'll only get in his way. He can handle this. I have faith." The four left out of what was once the door.

"It's been six years since we last came face to face," Jose said. "Then, Phantom was number one and no one knew how large your Fairy Tail would become. Ha, ha! But now it's been reduced to rubble."

"Our guild hall may have been destroyed," Makarov snarled, tracing a bright pattern, "but we're as strong as ever!"

"I must admit, I'm looking forward to this. Although it's frowned upon by the council, I can't wait to see who is the superior Wizard Saint."

"I couldn't have done this without you, my children," Makarov said. "Bless you all. Be proud that you are members of Fairy Tail!" The jets of light and dark from their hands were causing a visible haze over the Phantom guild hall, and the waves were throwing up around it. The heavens rumbled and lightning crashed. Every blow Jose gave was evenly match by Makarov.

* * *

"Ow!" Natsu complained as one of the shock waves knocked him down. " _This is why I hate people!_ "

* * *

 **Hope you guys enjoyed! I'll try to be more active on Twitter now that I have followers... Reviews, maybe?**


	47. Phantom Lord Arc: Fairy Law

"I'm impressed," Makarov said. "You have so much power at your command. I can see why the council named you one of the Ten Wizard Saints. However, your misuse of your power for your own personal gain… You could have become a role model for the younger generation. Instead you've become a lesson in what _not_ to do."

"What is this? A lecture?" Jose chuckled.

"I've a rule that seems to work well with my Fairy Tail kids," Makarov said. "I'll give you to the count of three to do exactly as I say." Jose growled. "Kneel to me."

"What?!"

"One!"

"So you want me to concede and kneel before you? No way in hell!"

"Two." He began to charge up a spell. Jose pulled out more of the eerie skulls.

"Why would the master of the top guild in the kingdom ever stoop so low as to kneel before you?! Technically, we are equally powerful. But, my ability to be heartless makes me even stronger!"

"Three." The light grew brighter.

" _You are the one who should be kneeling before me!_ Now, you and your precious Fairy Tail children are through!"

"Time's up."

" _This is it!_ " Makarov clapped his hands together, completely dispelling Jose's own attack. The light became too bright to look at.

" **I invoke… Fairy Law.** " A magic circle with, instead of the usual pattern in the center, the Fairy Tail symbol appeared above the building. The light became so intense that to look at it would be to risk going blind. The shades all vanished. As the light disappeared, Jose was left a trembling mess, his hair pure white.

"You will never bother Fairy Tail again," Makarov warned. "Understand? The council won't be able to ignore this, given this level of mayhem. Looks like saving your own hide should be your main concern now. Same goes for me, too." He punched Aria as he tried to surprise him again. "The war is over. There's no reason for us to fight anymore. But if you push me to the point of anger, I'll wipe out your entire guild without hesitation." Suddenly bright, he added, "Now you kids get out of here. And take Jose."

Fairy Tail cheered in triumph. Lucy had to laugh at her guild's various victory dances.

"We are victorious!" Makarov shouted to his guild. "But I had very little to do with it. This victory is yours, my children!"

* * *

"Hey, Gajeel," Natsu called. He finally had the chance to ask some questions that had been bugging him for a while; the kind of questions that one could only ask of another Dragon Slayer. "Can you hear me?"

"Nah, I can't hear nothin'."

"Double negative; you can hear me. Tell me… Where did you learn Dragon Slayer magic?" He had a fairly good idea - Metalicana pretend that he had a heart of steel, but Natsu knew that he had a soft spot for humans. It would be like him to take in one.

"I told you, I can't hear you."

"Listen, you're the first other Dragon Slayer I've met." Well, that wasn't _exactly_ true, but he didn't need to know that. "So tell me where you learned it!"

"Shut up."

"What did you say?!"

"Metalicana."

"I was right," he muttered to himself.

"If you knew then why did you ask me?!"

"The iron dragon Metalicana. Ha. Seems like him to take in a wimp like you."

"I said shut up!"

"So you were taught by a dragon," Natsu said after falling down to where Gajeel was.

"Why? Were you?"

"No duh! Where's Metalicana now?"

"Dunno."

"Grr… QUIT BEING LAZY AND TELL ME WHERE HE IS!"

"I TOLD YOU I DON'T KNOW! Man, I feel like I'm gonna lose brain cells just talking to you."

"Watch it, buddy. You're lucky I don't feel like killing anyone today."

"He just disappeared," Gajeel sighed after a moment. "Yeah, I'd been training with Metalicana. But then one day he just up and left without even saying a single word to me. Talk about a selfish jerk."

"Were you trying to kill him?"

"What? No."

"Huh. Igneel left too; I figured it was because I kept trying to kill him. Wait a minute… Maybe it wasn't a coincidence after all…"

"What? Tell me."

"He didn't happen to vanish seven years ago on July seventh, did he?"

"What?! You know where Metalicana is?!"

"Don't have a clue. But my dragon left the same day. Maybe it's connected… I've been looking for him. He's a big red fire dragon with a temper as big as he is named Igneel. Kind of hard to miss. You seen him?"

"No… But two dragons disappearing seven years ago on July seventh, year 777?"

"Gah! What's with all the sevens?!"

"How should I know?! I don't care what happens to him anyway."

"Ugh, you're no use… Just get the heck out of here already."

"You're on our turf, punk! If anyone's gonna leave, it's you!"

"Geez, you don't have to be so rude about it! And like I would want to stay in a dump like this."

"You're the one who made it a dump! Now scram, before I hurt you."

"Yeah, right. Let me know if you hear anything about Igneel."

"Are you kidding me? Why would I ever do you any favors?!"

"Because we're quite possibly the only two Dragon Slayers."

"Screw you! Next time I see you, I'll destroy you! You'll be beggin' for mercy!"

"Do you know the meaning of 'Take it easy', perchance? Sheesh, you're brutal. I was thinking about calling a truce, but now I'm not sure!"

" _I'm_ brutal?! Have you seen what you did to our guild?!"

"Please, it's nothing to be proud of."

"You got that right!"

"I've done much better than this. Once annihilated an entire kingdom."

" _What?!_ "

"Besides, you wrecked our guild first, you metal freak!"

"Who are you calling a freak? Forget it! I'm not gonna make a truce with you after all!"

* * *

Makarov sighed. "It's in ruins. They really did a number on it, huh?"

"Master," Lucy whispered. "I'm so sorry."

"Ah, child," he said kindly. "You've been through a lot lately. But don't let it get you down."

"Yeah, let's see a smile, Lucy!" a familiar voice said. Lucy turned in surprise.

"Levy?!"

"We're back!"

"You're alright!"

"We beat Phantom," Levy smiled, "so there's no reason for you to be sad."

"Sure, they might have destroyed our guild hall," Droy said.

"But we're gonna rebuild it even bigger and better!" Jet finished cheerfully.

"Oui," Reedus added.

"I'm sorry that we had you so worried, Lucy," Levy said.

"No," Lucy said sadly. "It's all my fault."

"We heard about your secret," Levy confessed. "But there's not a single person here that blames you."

"She's right," Reedus said. "In fact, I owe you an apology for being useless."

"Lucy," Makarov said with a hint of tiredness. "We may not be able to share our feelings of happiness or sadness entirely. We do share them to some extent. That's what happens in a guild. One person's happiness becomes everyone's happiness. One person's anger becomes everyone's anger. And one person's tears become everyone's tears. There's no reason for you to feel guilty. So don't cry. You should already know how much everyone here cares about you. Hold your head high, my dear. Because you are a proud member of the Fairy Tail family." Lucy was openly sobbing now. "While I'm glad that everything's worked out, I am worried about the council. They'll be furious, I'm sure." _I hate to think it, but I might even be looking at… prison time!_ He started crying then.

* * *

' _After about a week after defeating Phantom,_ ' Lucy wrote to her mother, _we started rebuilding - even Natsu! - and everything seemed normal again. But it wasn't long before things suddenly took a turn for the worse._

' _We were confronted by the Rune Knights, the magic council's army. Natsu says that while they look like a bunch of priests, they're a nasty bunch of business._

' _He teleported away when one of them recognized him. Master says that Natsu's actually got an outstanding warrant on his head, but he's so powerful that nobody dares to bring him in, and he's been avoiding the Rune Knights for six years now. According to Mira, he's the only one that's ever escaped from them. I wonder what he has to hide? He has no problem being disciplined by the master._

' _They rounded everyone else up and took us to a military post for extensive questioning. We had to endure a week of daily interrogation, but everything seems to have blown over now. From what I can gather, the council has decided to make a ruling on Fairy Tail's punishment at a later date._

' _But you don't have to worry about me, Mom. I don't think they're going to be too hard on us. All of the evidence, including eyewitness reports clearly show that Phantom was the one that attacked us first.'_ Lucy grunted as her bruised side reminded her of what Gajeel did.

"Ow," she groaned. "This ugly bruise hurts so bad…" She watched a bird outside her window feed her chick. Sadness filled her chest.

' _You know, Mom, I can't help but wonder if Dad really was the one behind all of this. You don't think he'd go that far, do you? Now that I think about it, he would. Without giving it a second thought. I just don't understand why he's so desperate for me to come home, all of a sudden. It's not like he's ever cared that I was there before. Mom… he'd do it again, wouldn't he? Use his money to try and control me. No. I won't let that happen. Not this time.'_

* * *

 **Ooh, tough Lucy. Small hint at Natsu's past once again. In the last chapter, we saw a little more of this 'Kokino'. I'll listen to your theories on who she is!**


	48. Phantom Lord Arc: Rebuilding

**Ugh, I hate Mondays... I hope you guys like this chapter, because the only reason I got up was to post it. I like my bed...**

* * *

"Yo," Natsu said, appearing with a bang. "What did I miss?"

"You selfish jerk!" Gray shouted. "Why'd you go and leave like that and leave the rest of us to take the fall?!"

"Because I don't like the Magic Council," Natsu said flatly. "Now, I guess I'll help you guys out some more." He easily lifted nine timbers at once and walked off with them.

"I hate him," Gray muttered. _So they're expanding the place, huh?_ Natsu thought as he looked around. Gray accidentally made Mira cry when he insulted her drawing for the guild.

"I don't know what you're complaining about," Natsu said, scooping up the plans and inspecting them. "They make perfect sense to me." The guys stared at him, not sure if he was joking or not.

* * *

Lucy stared at her mother's grave, preparing to leave the house she grew up in forever. She had faced down her father and warned him to never touch Fairy Tail again. The only thing she had left to do was say goodbye to her mother.

"Well," she said softly, "I'd better be going."

"What are you doing here?" Natsu's voice nearly made her jump out of her skin.

"What am _I_ doing here?!" she shouted. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"I came to see what the heck you were doing here," Natsu said. "Fairy Tail broke the law to keep you with them, fought a war to keep you. Why in the world are you here?"

"I had to speak to my dad," she said softly. Natsu chewed on that for a moment, then nodded.

"Makes sense. We'd better get going; the sun's going down, I'm not getting on that train again, and Erza, Gray, and Happy were ready to murder somebody when I left. I figured that you wouldn't want a crowd hanging around, so I… persuaded them to stay behind and let me fetch you." Lucy laughed for the first time that day as they walked down the driveway together.

"Well, thank you for coming for me. I had to make sure that Dad would never hurt Fairy Tail again."

"A noble sentiment. Must have taken some guts to face him again." Lucy shrugged.

"It was a little hard at first, but it's like I went on autopilot. It was kind of cool." Natsu stopped walking and stared hard at the house.

"I can go talk to him if you want," Natsu offered gruffly. Lucy's eyes widened before she smiled.

"Thanks, but no thanks. I think I got the message through."

"Dads can be pretty thick-headed sometimes," Natsu agreed. _Is he speaking from experience?_

"What were your parents like?" Lucy blurted after a few minutes. Natsu glanced at her, but said nothing. "That is, if you don't mind me asking…"

"Do you believe in angels?" Natsu asked suddenly. Lucy frowned, but nodded slowly, sensing that this was relevant to her question. "I wonder, sometimes, if they exist. You meet them, and they're so… kind, and gentle, you don't know if they're for real. You get close to them, and then they're just… gone. Leaving a hole in your heart. Going back to the one place they belong…" Then he shrugged. "But whatever. Doesn't matter to me." Lucy watched him as he walked a little ahead. _I wonder what brought that on… Maybe he thought of his mother that way?_ "Hurry up, Lucy. A living person is faster than a dead one, and I don't want to have to bury a body today!"

"That's a little morbid," she laughed nervously. Natsu wouldn't kill her… would he? "Besides, you wouldn't hurt me, right?" Natsu stopped and stared at her for a long time.

"I killed both of my parents when I was thirteen," he finally said. "What makes you think that I wouldn't kill you?" She watched him in horror as he walked on.

 _Mom, I know that you'd want me to follow my dreams, and stay with Fairy Tail, but what do I do about Natsu? He's so full of anger… I'll try to stay further away from him. I know you'd rather I be safe than try to make friends with him..._

* * *

Natsu had heard about how Loke had confessed to the guild that he was actually a celestial spirit. He had known for a long time about him, so it wasn't a surprise. Natsu had known about Leo's miserable past with Karen, and Leo knew about Natsu's past. When the dying spirit had joined Fairy Tail, Natsu pulled him aside and made a deal with him. It was basically a promise to shut up about each other. If one blabbed, the other would as well. Natsu had a larger stake in this than Leo did, but the deal worked. For three years, they kept quiet about each other and avoided each other.

But now that the guild knew, the deal need to be… renegotiated.

Leo stepped out from his gate. He could see the man clearly, about ten yards from where he was standing. Natsu was in a rare state of vulnerability. No armor, just his normal clothing. But most revealing of all was the lack of mask, visor, and helmet. Leo had already seen him without them, but only once before. He saw Natsu's head cocked ever so slightly as he approached, but he didn't turn.

At last, Leo was only a couple feet away from where the S-class wizard was observing birds off the cliff. It would be so easy to shove him over, but Natsu would probably manage to take Leo down with him.

"What do you want, Natsu?" he growled.

"We need to talk."

"About the deal we made?"

"Yes." Natsu didn't say anymore for a long time. "It has changed. Fairy Tail now knows of who and what you really are."

"And?"

"I want to make a new deal, and you won't be able to turn it down."

"Oh?" Leo raised an eyebrow. "And why's that?"

"Because you won't want to."

"Explain."

"Under the bonds of our previous agreement, if one of us talked, the other would start talking as well. You, however, no longer have a stake in this. I am the only one with a secret now."

"I see. After all, what's to keep me from telling the Council about you?"

"You will not say a word about anything concerning me, upon pain of death." Leo smirked.

"That's it? You have much knowledge, but you seem to be forgetting one simple thing: I _can't_ die. The only way for me to pass out of this life is to stay in the human world for about three years. I know you; when you want vengeance, you take it quickly. You wouldn't want to wait for that long."

"I know that." Natsu stood and turned, staring Leo in the eyes. His brown eyes were filled with malice with a hint of amusement. "It's not your death I speak of. It's Lucy's." Leo's heart nearly stopped.

"You wouldn't dare."

"You don't know me that well, then. I do dare."

"If you so much as _touch_ her, I'll -"

"What?" Natsu asked. "You'll what? But that's what's wrong, isn't it? You _can't_. You can't hurt me. If I decide that I want her dead, you can't do a thing against it. If you blab, then I swear I will take her where no one will ever find her, and torture her until she dies. As per our last deal, you will not speak a word of it to any living being. Do you accept?" Leo stared at him in shock for a moment before nodding with a snarl, and leaving through his gate. Natsu merely sat back down and began watching the birds again.

* * *

"Hey, Natsu!" He groaned inwardly. _Can I not get five minutes of peace in this guild? People left me alone before Lucy came around…_ "Loke was here just a minute ago; you just missed him." _She thinks that was an accident?_ He knew that the lion spirit would be in no mood to talk to him after their previous… conversation. Judging by Lucy's enthusiasm, he was holding up his end of the deal. "He left these." Lucy held out four tickets to an expensive resort. "He was going to go here with some of his girlfriends, but can't now, for obvious reasons. Oh, wait, did you hear about -"

"Yes," he interrupted. "I always knew."

"You mean you knew the whole time?!" everybody shouted.

"Well, nobody asked…" Lucy sighed. Of course that would be his take on it.

"Anyway, I wanted to see if you would like to come with us!"

"Us?"

"Erza, Gray, Happy, and me." Erza was impatiently waiting for them.

"And if I say 'no'?" Lucy deflated a little.

"I guess I'd have to throw it away, since Levy's on a job…" Natsu sighed. Despite what he told Leo, and despite what he told himself, there was something about Lucy that drew him to her. He did think it was odd that he felt that strange urge to save her during the Phantom Lord incident. Maybe if he went, he could figure her out.

"Fine," he said. Lucy beamed at him. "But don't expect me to go swimming!" She hugged him tightly. "No no no no no no! No hugs!"

* * *

They were having a blast at the beach. Natsu was wearing somewhat lighter clothes than normal, and no armor besides his gauntlets and helmet, which he refused to part with. Erza wouldn't stop smiling, and Natsu even stopped the morbid talk and death threats. He wouldn't play like the rest of them, and many people watching them thought that a warrior was taking his almost adult children to the beach. After all, he was the only thing that was keeping them from blowing all of their money.

Lucy did notice that while he was still very stiff, he did loosen up a bit. In fact, he actually made a joke on their first evening there. Most people were scared of him, which didn't help matters. But he did seem to be enjoying himself. Though he would never admit it, he was thankful to Lucy for inviting him, despite his occasional threats and bouts of violence towards her. As he gruffly told her on their second day, he wasn't used to being shown kindness and often wasn't sure how to react.

"It's ok," she told him. "Just don't follow through with it, and we'll be fine." _Fuyu_ , he thought. _In a way, she reminds me of you. Both of you refuse to see the worst in me, constantly searching for the little good there is. Part of me wants to confess to her like I confessed to you, but I can't. Not again. Never again._

* * *

 **I'm really not sure what to think of Natsu and Lucy's relationship. One thing's for sure: if this keeps up, romance is a NOPE. I have no idea what Natsu's doing, so don't get mad at me.**


	49. Tower of Heaven Arc: Upheaval

Erza sighed as she bathed in the sun. _I had a nice time today. It was wonderful…_ She didn't realize that she had fallen asleep until she started dreaming. Remembering.

She gasped as she woke up. "Just a dream," she muttered. "I must have fallen asleep at some point…" She stared at the setting sun. A flock of birds flew over the ocean. Walking back inside, she paused in front of the mirror. She stared deep into her eyes, searching for the girl that she once was. While she liked the way she looked in her swimsuit, she didn't feel entirely comfortable. Erza requiped into her normal armor, instantly feeling better.

"I always feel more at ease wearing armor," she remarked. "Although, as a wardrobe choice, I guess it's not the most feminine." Someone knocked on the door, then entered.

"Erza!" Lucy said. She looked very nice in her red dress, with a slit up to her hips on her right. "Get out of the room and come have some fun! Natsu and Gray are downstairs. Wanna go find them and play some games?"

"That's right, there's a casino here, isn't there?" Erza smiled. She requiped again, this time into a nice dress. "So how do I look?"

"Uh… You look great! Maybe a little on the glitzy side… But, whatever. Come on, let's go!" _I guess it's ok to relax and enjoy myself once in awhile,_ she conceded. _Isn't it?_

It was easy to spot Natsu in the casino. Everybody steered clear of him while he did his thing. He nodded at the girls when they came in. He was playing some sort of roulette game, and lost. "Well, crap. Let's try this again." Gray was playing slots at another table, ignoring Natsu, when Juvia approached him.

"Gray, my darling," she said softly. He looking up. She was wearing a blue dress that matched her hair, with a rather flamboyant Fairy Tail necklace. "I'm Juvia… Do you remember me?"

"Yeah! You're that chick from Phantom!"

Natsu was beginning to get irritated at his game. He had lost for the fifth time in a row. He growled deep in his throat.

"Cool your jets, kid," a voice said. He turned to see a rather blocky man talking to him. "Grownup entertainment spots should be enjoyed dandily, you know?" Natsu snorted.

"I don't need advice from you," he said. "I can deal with this myself." Saying that, he lost again. "Crap."

"Let me give you a tip, pal." Natsu glared at him. "There are only two paths a man can take." Before he could react, the man's bottom half slammed him into the glass. He evidently did his research; the restraints were thick. Natsu pulled against them, but couldn't break free.

"You better let me go before things get ugly," Natsu warned.

"You can either live a dandy life," the block man said, pointing a finger at him. His hand turned into a gun. The laser sighting went straight between his eyes. Natsu knew enough about guns and such to know that it would pierce his visor with no problem. "Or die a jealous poser. See?"

* * *

"I hear Phantom was disbanded," Gray said as he and Juvia got some drinks. "That had to be tough on you."

"Yes," Juvia said, flustered that the object of her devotions was talking to her. "Juvia has become a freelance wizard. I can join any guild I want!"

"I see," Gray said slowly, sweat dropping a little. "And I take it you want to join Fairy Tail?"

"Oh, yes, very much so!"

"I don't know," he said doubtfully. "After everything that just went down… I mean, I personally don't mind, but who knows what the master will think?"

"I promise I'll do whatever it takes!"

"If I were you, I'd be careful about making promises like that."

"Gray Fullbuster?" a man asked. They both turned just in time to see the man cast a magic circle. The bar then exploded.

* * *

"What's all the commotion about?" Erza asked.

"It sounds like the parade has started outside!" someone said.

"Makes sense," Lucy shrugged.

"Yeah…"

* * *

Gray shook himself as their attacker looked on. "Juvia!" he shouted. She seemed to be out cold for the moment. He turned to face the man, angry now. "What do you think you're doing, _buddy_? Just who the hell are you?"

"Where is Erza?" he asked.

* * *

"Come on," the block man said. "Where is she?" Natsu's mind was working at lightspeed. They attack him, which meant that they probably went for Gray and Lucy too. Erza was the target; he didn't know why. He was also pointing a gun at Natsu's face, which meant that he knew how to use it and wasn't afraid to either, a deadly combination.

* * *

"A straight!" Lucy cheered. "Way to go, Erza!"

"Today's my lucky day," she chuckled. A crowd had gathered to watch. Dealing with Fairy Tail every day meant that she had a perfect poker face, which in turn meant that she was on a winning streak. The dealers changed then. "I have a feeling that this hot streak is just getting started."

"Oh, yeah?" Lucy grinned.

"In that case," the dealer said, "I've got a special game for you folks tonight." Erza stared at her cards in shock. They spelled D-E-A-T-H. "And while we're at it, what do you say we raise the stakes a bit higher, Sister?"

"It can't be…" she whispered. "Sho? Is that you?"

"So, you do remember me," he growled.

"You know him?" Lucy asked. Erza ignored her.

"You're… You're alive?"

"Alive?"

"Oh… I mean…"

"You okay?" Lucy asked with concern.

* * *

"Now," the man told Gray. "Where is she?"

"You'd think I'd tell you?" he demanded. Water swirled between them and formed into Juvia. he'd forgotten that her body was made of water.

"I won't allow to so much as lay a finger on my beloved!" she declared. "You'll have to go through Juvia first!"

"Juvia," Gray said.

"Go to Erza. Danger is fast approaching."

"You're right…" The man raised two fingers to his head in a way that Gray recognized. He'd seen Warren do it before.

"Ah. You've located her? Yes, I see. So I should clean things up here? Understood." Everything went dark. People began screaming.

"What happened to the lights," Gray shouted.

"It's magic of the dark lineage," the man's voice floated. " **Dark Moment!** " He was suddenly behind them, charging a magic circle.

* * *

 _The lights are out_ , Natsu thought. _Magically induced. Means they plan to kidnap Erza, or perhaps make a clean getaway after killing her._ His stomach turned. Erza was too much alike to her for him to let her die. He reached out with his mind, trying to find the others. _Erza!_ he shouted mentally. Then he found her. She was confused, and scared, and that in itself made him worried. _Calm down_ , he told her. _I'm a bit tied up at the moment, but I'll be there as soon as I can._

 _Natsu?_

 _No, the cat. Of course it's me!_

 _You can use telepathy?_

 _It's not a skill I'd like everyone to know, but yes, I can. What's going on?_ He got a flurry of images from her, most of which didn't make sense.

"Goodnight, boy," the block man said.

"Aw, f-" The rest of his comment was lost in the gunshot.

* * *

 **And that's the closest I'll ever come to using the f-bomb. I dedicate this chapter to Wolves silver wind, who was hoping for one soon, so I present it! Read, review, and enjoy!**


	50. Tower of Heaven Arc: Masks

**Hello! Now, before we get started, I have two things to say. One: Do you guys know how much like rabid animals you remind me of when you scream 'NALU NALU NALU NALU' at me in reviews? It's kind of scary. Just saying...**

 **Two: I'm going to call something in Fairy Tail. I just started following Hiro Mashima on Twitter (I hope) because I was told about this interesting piece of art for Fairy Tail that he released... a girl that looks like Zeref with Natsu's hair... some people are speculating that this is the mysterious 'Anna', or their mother, or both. I think that she's... Anna... THEIR SISTER. So the date is 12/31/15. We will look back when her identity is revealed, and we will see if I'm correct. If so...**

 **CALLED IT.**

* * *

"A gunshot?" Lucy asked fearfully.

"What happened?" Erza demanded. The lights suddenly came back on. Everybody was gone and cards were scattered all over the floor. "Where'd he go?!"

"I'm right here, Sister." They could hear the people inside the cards panicking.

"Oh no!"

"The people are inside the cards?!"

"Cool, huh?" Shô smirked.

"You used magic?" Erza gasped.

"That's right. You're not the only one with powers anymore."

"But who taught you that?!"

"Meow!" Lucy was suddenly tied up, her arms stretched over her head and down.

"Let her go!" Erza demanded.

"Well, aren't you all rosey?" Lucy's captor said with a smile.

"Millianna?!" Erza said. "You can use magic too?!"  
"It's been awhile, Erzy!"

"Please," Erza said. "You have to let her go! She's ok; she's a friend of mine!"

"Meow… A friend, huh?"

"We used to be friends of your's too, remember? _Good_ friends." _These creeps were her friends?!_ Lucy thought.

"I… I do…"

"We were very close… At least we were, until you decided to betray us!" Erza looked away. She couldn't look them in the eyes.

"Why don't you cut the dame a little slack, pal?" someone one said. The block man materialized next to Shô. "A dandy man must keep his emotions in check. You know?" He looked at Erza. "Very nice… Life on the outside's been good to ya, huh, doll?"

"Is that you, Wally?"

"I've gone through some changes myself. Old Mad Dog Wally you grew up with has seen a lot since the old days. You see, I'm much smoother now."

"You practice magic as well?"

"Why are you so surprised?" a voice asked. A large man appeared from the shadows behind her. "It's not that hard once you get the hang of it. Of course, you already knew that, didn't you?"

"Simon," Erza muttered as Millianna pushed Lucy down.

"Erza!" Lucy wailed. "Who are these people?! Why is he calling you 'sister'?!"

"He's not actually my brother," Erza quietly explained. "But we all grew up together."

"What do you mean?! I thought you said you joined Fairy Tail when you were just a little girl?!"

"This was before I joined the guild. Why are you here?" she demanded, turned to her old friends.

"What do you mean, 'why'?" Millianna asked.

"We're here to take you back with us," Wally smirked.

"I'm begging you," Erza said, changing the subject. "Please release Lucy!"

"Who cares about her?" Shô asked. "We want _you_ , Sister."

"Listen, dame," Wally said, transforming an arm into a gun and pointing it as Lucy. "Don't make this get ugly." Lucy whimpered.

"No!" Erza cried. "Don't hurt her!" The gun vanished, but his arm was still gone. "No! Please Wally!" Suddenly, she was shot in the back. Lucy cried out in horror.

" _ERZA! Somebody! Help!_ "

"We got what we came for," Simon said, scooping up Erza's still form. "Let's go home."

"You sure she's ok?" Shô asked Wally.

"She's just takin' a nap."

"Hold it!" Lucy shouted. "Just where do you jerks think you're taking her?! Natsu and Gray are going to find you! And when they do, they're gonna make you pay!"

"Sorry, toots," Wally smirked. "But those goons're gonna be lickin' pavement for while, you get me?"

"What?"

"Those two were nothing but talk," Simon observed. _Just how powerful are these guys if they took down Natsu?!_

"But… that's impossible! You mean they're…"

"Yeah," Wally chuckled. "Sleepin' the big sleep." Millianna tightened the ropes, pulling her wrists and ankles closer together.

"In about another five minutes, you're gonna be all twisted up just like a yummy little pretzel!"

"Hey, Millianna," Wally said. "I scored a little somethin' for ya." A sleeping Happy appeared in his hands.

"Ah! A kitty of my very own! He's such a little cutey-wutey!"

"Happy?" Lucy whispered in shock.

"That's enough," Simon sighed. "Now calm down and tie Erza up."

"Sister," Shô murmured with tears of joy in his eyes. "I can't believe that you're finally coming home… to the Tower of Heaven! I know Jellal will be happy to see you…" All of them left through a magic portal, taking Erza with them.

Lucy discovered to her dismay that she couldn't summon her spirits, which meant that she was all on her own. Thankfully, a man in one of the cards had a letter opener on him. For some bizarre reason, it could affect other objects. Together, they managed to cut her bonds apart. _I've got to find the boys!_ Lucy thought as she ran. _I can only hope that guy was lying and they're ok._ She came across the bar where Gray and Juvia had been, only to see Gray lying unconscious.

"Gray?! Oh, no… What happened?! Snap out of it, Gray!" Then his body turned to ice and shattered. Lucy screamed. She frantically tried to put him back together while shrieking apologies. The result was horrific and crumbled.

"There's no need to panic," a familiar voice said. Juvia's body formed partly out of the water.

"I remember you!" Lucy shouted, grabbing her keys. "You're that chick from Phantom!"

"Lucy, wait!" Gray's disembodied voice shouted. Juvia's body finished forming to show Gray underneath her. "She's not our enemy any more."

"Yes, that's right. I pulled my precious Gray inside of me to ensure his safety."

"Is it just me, or does that seems really weird?"

"Are you jealous that he was inside me and not you?!"

"Uh… not really, no."

"This dude cast a darkness spell," Gray explained as he stripped. "So I created an ice decoy to distract him until I could figure out my plan of attack."

"I wanted to keep the real Gray safe from harm, so I pulled him inside of my Water Lock till I was sure the danger had passed."

"Yeah, and I couldn't do anything in there. Thanks to you, he got away." Juvia's jaw dropped at the criticism. "Now what? Do you know where Erza and Natsu are?"

"No, I don't. They took Happy and Erza, but I have no clue what happened to Natsu."

"Let's find him. Last I saw, he was over at the roulette game." Natsu was inside of it, knocked back there by whatever hit him.

"Natsu?" Lucy asked softly, not daring to touch him. He didn't make a sound. She reached out to touch him, but hesitated. This was the first time she ever voluntarily touched him. Ever.

"Do you think he's…?" Gray asked, not wanting to say the word. With his helmet and mask on, it was impossible to tell.

"I don't know… I'm going to have to take his pulse." Gray's eyes widened in horror. Back at the guild, there were two ways to die if you were suicidal. One: Take Erza's cake. It didn't matter what you did to it; if you touched it, you were dead. Two: Mess with Natsu's mask in any way, shape, or form.

Lucy slowly reached forward and grabbed the mask. No reaction from Natsu. Carefully pulling it down, she studied the lower half of his face for a moment.

His skin was more tanned than she would have expected for someone who hid it all the time, but still rather pale. He was clean-shaven, with no hint of scruff. His lips were slightly parted, revealing sharp teeth. He wasn't breathing. Since she couldn't feel his pulse through the fabric, she was going to have to… stick her hand… down a man's shirt… A man who, if the lower half of his face was any indication, was rather attractive. And had a horrible temper.

 _It's not far_ , she assured herself. _You're just touching his neck. It's not like you're touching his chest, or anything._ Mild nosebleed as dirty thoughts flooded her mind. Lucy shook herself and touched his warm neck. _If he's dead, it hasn't been for very long._ Nothing for a couple seconds, and then… a beat. Then another.

Natsu's mouth opened wide as he suddenly gasped for air, showing off his sharp fangs. The first thing he did with his breath was scream. Lucy screamed as well, throwing herself back for fear of his wrath. Natsu curled into a ball and grabbed his forehead, screaming profanities.

"Dammit, that hurt!" he roared.

"Natsu, what happened?" Gray demanded. "You weren't breathing!"

"Of course I wasn't breathing! You expect someone to breath after they got shot in the freaking head?!" He jabbed a finger at his helmet. "I was lucky that my helmet is so strong! But now I have a damn hole in it! Man, that hurt. He could have killed me! What's the big idea, anyway!"

"I think he was _trying_ to kill you," Lucy weakly pointed out.

"What are you staring at?!" Natsu demanded. The fact that he hadn't noticed his mask was down was what they were looking at. Then he noticed, and became deadly quiet. "Which one of you pulled my mask down?" Nobody answered. "Don't touch it again, Lucy," he sighed, pulling it back up.

"Wait, how did you know it was me?"

"I used my head, Blondie. Now let's go. They took Erza?"

"Yeah," Gray nodded. "Can you track them?"

"I can track anything under the sun, and most things in the dark, as well. They didn't teleport here, which means that I can sniff my way to wherever the heck they are." _And when I get my hands on them…_

 _There's gonna be hell to pay._

* * *

 **Ok, we've learned two things in this chapter. One: At least a little of what Natsu looks like. Two: He's oddly protective of Erza... Theories, anyone?**


	51. Tower of Heaven Arc: Elysium

**Happy New Year! Hope you all had a fun 2015, and we start the new year up with a fresh chapter for Of Demons and Men! I don't know about you guys, but I personally think that this year is gonna be fun!**

* * *

Erza slowly opened her eyes. She was tied to a pole on what seemed to be a boat, judging by the rocking and the salt air. "This place… Where are we?" she asked Shô.

"Inside the hold of a ship at sea," he said quietly.

"A ship?"

"That's right. And our course is set for the Tower of Heaven."

"I see," she murmured after a moment. "I should've known. Would you untie me? I won't cause any trouble."

"I'm afraid I can't. You've proven yourself untrustworthy. That won't help," he added as she pulled a little. "Millianna's binding's can seal magic, so you're struggling in vain. You'll find that you'll have no luck in breaking free from them. The effort will just tire you out."

"Fine," Erza said. "I won't resist. But please, Shô… will you allow me to requip into my armor? The Tower… I'm afraid of going back there… I just want to have it on so that I… feel safe…" She was ashamed at how close she was to tears.

"But the outfit you have on now is so lovely." Shô suddenly fell to his knees and hugged her. "Honestly, I didn't want it to happen like this."

"It's ok," she said quietly.

"I missed you so much," he whispered, tears streaming down his face. "It hurts me! Tell me… why? Why'd you do it? _Why'd you betray Jellal?!_ " Shô screamed.

 _Jellal…_

* * *

"I'm worried about those people who are stuck in those cards," Lucy said as their boat grew closer to where a motion sick Natsu claimed Erza was. "You think they're ok?"

"We let the military know about them before we left," Gray shrugged. "I'm sure they'll be fine.

"I hope so…"

"Wait a minute… Where the heck are we?!"

"I don't know," Juvia said. "We've been following Salamander's lead."

"Natsu," Lucy said. "Are you _sure_ we're going the right way?" Natsu groaned. He was too sick to answer.

"Man! We're relying on your sense of smell! Pull it together!"

"How dare you disappoint my love with your childish actions?!" Natsu didn't give a flying crap about their opinion. He just wanted off the boat.

"Geez… I can't believe how easily they were able to knock us out _and_ kidnap Erza and Happy. We're pathetic."

"Good plan…" Natsu groaned. "Strong wizards… we… weren't prepared…"

"Salamander is right," Juvia said. "In our defense, it must have taken powerful wizards to defeat one as strong as Erza."

"What?!" Gray snapped. "They _didn't_ beat her! Quit talking like you know her, cause you don't!"

"Ah! I'm sorry!"

"Gray, calm down! What's your problem? Those goons that attacked us said they were good friends of Erza's… Which makes me wonder if we know her any better than Juvia does." They all looked at Natsu as he pulled himself together and stood.

"I got a bad feeling about this…" Birds began to fall from the sky, dead, as fish floated belly up. _So much dark magic…_

"That's wreckage from a Fiore battleship!" Gray shouted.

"We should check for survivors," Lucy started.

"No." They all looked at Natsu.

"Why the hell not?" Gray demanded.

"Because there are none." Their attention was quickly diverted from him to the monstrous tower in front of them. _Those cultists actually did it…_

"It must be the Tower of Heaven!" Lucy gasped. Juvia quickly summoned a water dome, effectively hiding them from anyone on lookout duty.

"Good thinking," Natsu muttered. He grunted softly as he felt a sharp pang. _Not now!_

"Are you ok?" Lucy asked, hearing his grunt.

"Yeah, I'll be fine."

* * *

"The Tower of Heaven?!" Erza gasped. "It's been completed?!"

"I don't know why you're so surprised," Shô said. "We've been working on it since you left eight years ago."

"Has it really been that long? It's amazing how much you've all changed."

"The ceremony will take place later tonight," Shô explained as he locked her in one of the unused cells. "You'll be staying here until then." _Ceremony?! Are they going to activate the R-System?!_ "I'm sorry, but this is the price of betrayal. And although you've hurt him, Jellal is giving you a special honor. He's chosen you to be the sacrifice for the ceremony. I'm sad I won't ever get to see you again. But you're going to help us get to heaven. Oh, you're trembling… Are you afraid of being sacrificed? Or does this cell bring back memories?" She remembered how their escape failed so horribly.

* * *

 _"Did you brats really think you could get away that easily?" one of the guards demanded. "Aw, you're all going to be punished bigtime for trying to pull one over us!"_

 _"Now, now, normally I'd agree with you, but we cannot afford anymore construction delays on the R-System. If you tell us who came up with your escape plan, we'll just take them and leave the rest of you alone. That's pretty nice of us, don't you think?"_

 _"Speak up! Which one of you was it?!" Erza took one look at the mastermind of the plan - Shô - and knew that she couldn't let anything happen to him._

 _"It wa-"_

 _"It was me!" She looked up at Jellal. "I came up with our escape plan. It was all me."_

 _"Oh?"_

 _"Hmm, well aren't you brave? But I know it wasn't you. It was the redhead!" Erza's eyes widened in horror._

 _"Take her away!"_

 _"No, it wasn't her!" Jellal insisted. "I swear it was my idea! She didn't do anything!"_

 _"Yeah, let her go!" Simon shouted._

 _"That's enough!" Erza heard her friends scream as they were punished._

 _"Please," she said. "Don't worry about me. Cause I'll be ok…"_

 _"Erza!" Jellal screamed as he helped Simon up._

 _"It's just like you said, Jellal," Erza whispered. "There's nothing to be afraid of." She beamed at them as she was led away to her doom._

 _"Erza… They won't get away with this!"_

* * *

"You're the one that ended up being punished, even though I came up with the plan," Shô said. "I was too scared to say anything. I'm sorry. It was my fault."

"That's in the past, Shô," Erza said. "Right now, I'm worried that none of you realize how dangerous it is to resurrect someone using the R-System!"

"Wow. I didn't expect you to know what the R-System's purpose was. That's quite a surprise."

* * *

 _"The R-System?" Natsu said. Erza could hear the frown in his voice. "Why in the world do you want to learn about that?" She had heard that this new member of the guild knew countless things about ancient and forbidden magic. She had to know what she had been building all of those years._

 _"That's none of your business," she said. "Do you or do you not know its purpose?"_

 _"Yeah, I know. Normally, you'd have to pay, because no information is free and I came by it the hard way, but I'll tell you a little secret." He leaned forward a little. Despite being four years under the legal drinking age, he had somehow procured a bottle of potent fire whiskey. "Out of everyone in this guild, you'd have to be my favorite, so I won't charge." He explained everything about it to her. "Now that you know, why the sudden curiosity? You planning on bringing someone back?"_

 _"No. I just wanted to_ _know."_

* * *

"The Revive System. In exchange for countless sacrifices, it brings a single person back from the dead. It is inhumane, _forbidden_ black magic."

"Sure it's forbidden," Shô smirked. "But whoever said that magic had to be humane? I happen to believe magic wears away at one's humanity."

"That's a black magic philosophy! Are you one of them now?"

"Are you seriously comparing us to those idiots?! They thought this tower was only good for resurrection magic! We know better because we've been enlightened. Jellal told us that he can use the Tower to get us into heaven!" Shô's back was turned. Erza began to lift her bonds over the hook in the wall.

"To heaven?" she asked. The longer she kept this going, the more she would know and the better her escape chances would be.

"Once we use the R-System to revive him, the world will be reborn! And we will become its rulers! The cult members who kept us prisoner for all those years… The loved ones of the sister who betrayed us… The citizens who live their entire lives blissfully ignorant! Those fools on the Magic Council! We're going to put fear and sorrow in the hearts of every one of them! They'll be stripped of their freedom and denied any rights once we're in control! _They'll have no choice but to bow down before us!_ " He laughed evilly. This was not the boy she grew up with. The moment Erza landed, he turned around. She just punched him in the jaw, knocking him out. Erza ripped her bonds off with her teeth, rubbing her wrists.

"Shô," she murmured. _What could have possibly caused you to change so drastically?!_ She requiped into her normal armor. _Jellal… What has he done to them?!_

* * *

 **So while Natsu is no Cana by any means, he apparently enjoys fire whiskey... Hmm... On another note, there's a huge plot twist coming up - well, two, actually, I suppose. I want to hear your theories before they get revealed, so please send them in! There are several obvious questions to ask - mostly about Natsu -, and I'm surprised none of you have asked them yet. Oh well.**

 **Oh, to those of you who are following Midori: The Green Flame, I am so so sorry for not updating in so long. There's an epic scene in the next chapter that I can't write until I've watched The Fast and The Furious. I've never written race scenes before, so I figured I'd watch that. So please don't kill me.**

 **Ok, you guys, I hope you start the year off awesomely!**


	52. Tower of Heaven Arc: Mutiny

**I'm back! Chapter fifty two... wow. We're getting pretty far, aren't we?**

* * *

Happy suddenly woke up in a room filled with cat stuff. Cat balloons, cat furniture, you name it - it was there cat-style. "I'm totally surrounded by kitty cats! Where am I? Creepy…"

"Meow," Millianna said. Happy screeched.

" _A creepy cat girl!_ "

"So how are you feeling?" she asked.

"Well, I've been better." She squealed and cuddled him tightly.

"I got a talking kitty!"

"You're gonna hug me to death!" Wally appeared in the doorway.

"Milly, doll, better let go before ya knock off that cat." She obeyed and put Happy down. "It isn't a talking cat. It's a cat because it talks. You know?"

"That makes no sense!" Happy shouted. "How'd I end up in this place? And what happened to Natsu?"

"Don't get mouthy," Wally warned. "Or you'll end up six feet under just like your helmeted friend." Happy was horrified for a moment, but consoled himself with the thought that there was no way that Natsu - an S-class wizard - would ever be beaten that easily.

"We got bad news," a guard panted as he ran up. "Erza Scarlet has escaped her cell."

"She did?" Millianna giggled. "That's Erzy for ya!"

"Well, ain't no way the broad's bustin' out of this tower again." _Erza's here too?_

* * *

"Talk," Erza ordered. She had beaten up all but one of the guards, killing their dog-like creature. "Where can I find Jellal?"

* * *

"That's a lot of lookouts," Gray muttered.

"Be careful," Natsu warned. "They have Erza and Happy. If we alert them to our presence, then not only do we lose the element of surprise, they could kill them."

"Man, this is going to be tricky…"

"I found any underwater passageway into the Tower," Juvia said, surfacing from the water.

"Seriously? Way to go!" Gray said. Juvia lorded his praise over Lucy for a few moments. Lucy just waved it away.

"We can swim there in ten minutes."

"Sounds easy enough," Gray said.

"It's not humanly possible!" Lucy shrieked. "I don't think even Natsu could do that!"

"Actually, I -"

"I don't care!"

"Please wear these," Juvia said, creating a water bubble. "There's oxygen inside, so you can breathe underwater with them."

"Pretty smart, er… whatever your name is." Juvia sweatdropped.

"It's ok. He's always like this." Lucy couldn't help but glance at Natsu as they swam. While his horns were sticking out from the bubble, he seemed comfortable enough. He was also an excellent swimmer, despite his dislike of getting wet.

"So we're underneath the Tower, huh?" Gray commented.

"They may look silly," Lucy said, holding her water hat. "But they sure do work!"

"I'm impressed you made it here, because I purposely made your shell smaller so you'd have trouble breathing."

"Gee, thanks."

"Intruders!" a guard shouted. Soon, the room was flooded with guards. "Identify yourselves!"

"Oh, sorry, we just stumbled in," Natsu said. "Say, Jellal had a meeting with me. You wouldn't happen to know where he is, do you?"

"A meeting?"

"Yeah, with a demon from the pits of Hell." Natsu lit his fist on fire. "You'd better tell him that I'm waiting." Slamming his fist into the ground, a large cloud of smoke covered them. "Let me handle this," Natsu warned them.

"Like hell I will," Gray snarled. Lucy had to marvel at how easily they moved together, covering for the other, and dual attacks. Natsu might have said that he didn't want help, but he accommodated to the others very easily. She and Juvia joined in. The guards drooled over her for a moment as she summoned Virgo.

"Did you summon me?"

"These pervs need to be punished."

"As you wish…"

"That seems to have done the job," Juvia observed. One of the giant heads' mouth opened, the tongue extending as a bridge. After exploring some of the levels, they discovered a table laden with food. Natsu sat down at the head and glared at the others until they also sat.

"The door that let us in was controlled by a magic user," Natsu said. Lucy found it odd that he had pulled the lower half of his mask down and was eating in front of them. "It appears that they are completely aware of our prese- What the hell are you staring at?!"

"Your mask…" Lucy stammered. "It's down."

"Yeah, so? I'm hungry, and you guys have already seen my face. Now, the real question is, why did they let us in?"

"You think they're trying to provoke us?" Gray asked.

"I don't know," Lucy said.

"Not to be rude," Virgo said, "but your bikini leaves little to the imagination."

"Should I change?" The spirit got a gleam in her eyes.

"Yes! I'll help you!"

"Wait! You mean right here?!" Gray blushed a little as he saw them.

"Holy…"

"Please stop looking at her!" Juvia wailed.

"Perv," Natsu commented as he resumed eating.

"I brought this over from the celestial world," Virgo explained.

"So, boys," Lucy said, modeling a little. "Do I look super cute in this outfit or what?"

"You look great," Gray approved while Juvia sulked.

"No, not really. It looks like a maternity dress," Natsu said. Lucy shot daggers at him with her eyes. "What? Some women look good in maternity dresses."

"And how would you know that?" Gray asked. The corners of Natsu's mouth turned down as he grimaced.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"I wish you luck, Princess," Virgo said as she went back to the spirit world.

"Thanks for the help," Lucy smiled. "Oh, did you guys want me to ask her to bring you a dry change of clothes?" Natsu burst into flames, his robes flapping a little. Gray began to dry himself off in the heat.

"Nah, this does the trick."

"He's not a dryer, you know!" A bunch of guards stormed the room. Before Natsu could act, however, Erza took them out.

"Erza! Thank goodness you're alright!"

"It's you!" she gasped. "What are you doing here?!"

"What do you mean, 'why'?" Natsu asked crossly. He took her chin in his hand and gave her a once over.

"We're looking for you," Lucy added.

"Go home!" Erza ordered. "This place is far too dangerous!" Natsu snorted.

"After all this time, you really think they'll listen to you? Besides, I told you. I don't take orders from you."

"You have to go!" Erza insisted.

"But why?" Lucy asked. "They've got Happy!"

"They got Happy too?! It must have been Millianna… You don't have to worry about him; she's an avid cat lover. I can't imagine her ever harming him. I'll bring him back with me. But you four need to leave immediately."

"Fat chance," Natsu said.

"Don't be ridiculous, we can help you!" Lucy agreed.

"This is my problem. It doesn't involve you." Natsu grabbed her forearm roughly, jerking her closer.

"Well, I'm getting involved. Besides, it's a bit too late for all of us to back out."

"Erza," Lucy said. "What is this tower? Who's Jellal?! If you don't want to tell us, that's fine. They said they were your old friends, right? But we're your friends now. We'll always have your back, no matter what!"

"There you have it," Gray said with a grin.

"Leave," Erza growled, trying in vain to pull her arm from Natsu's iron grasp.

"Come on!"

"You're freaking me out," Gray said, "cause this ain't like you, Erza. What happened to the woman that'd tell us to 'shut up and come along', whether we wanted to or not? We want to stay here and help you out. Master taught us that even the strongest warriors need a little back up every once in awhile." Erza turned to them with tears in her left eye, startling them. Erza never cried.

"I'm sorry," she said. "But you can't help me now. I'm going to vanish from this world whether I win or lose this battle."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Natsu said.

"There's no point in fighting what's inevitable. I can't. But what I can do is share my story with you… while I'm still here. This is the Tower of Heaven, also known as the R-System. Over a decade ago, a cult dedicated to black magic began its construction. It would be used to cast a forbidden spell that brings the dead back to life. The spell required many human sacrifices, so the cult abducted citizens from the surrounding areas, and forced them to build the Tower as their slaves. The only reason I know this is because I was one of those people. Anyone who dared to resist the cult or tried to escape the Tower would mysteriously disappear. We never had any peace of mind; we lived in constant fear. But we bonded and made friends we could trust despite that. Even though we knew we wouldn't be together long. One of my friends in the Tower was a boy named Jellal."

* * *

 _"Erza!" Jellal shouted as he stormed the room where she was. He had attacked guard after guard to find her. "Hold on!" He stabbed his sword into the ground and untied the shaking girl. "Don't worry, I'll get you out of here." Jellal caught Erza as she collapsed from exhaustion and pain. His eyes went wide as he saw her missing eye. "Your eye…! They've gone too far," he cried against her. "What did she do to deserve this?! What did any of us do?!" His restrained sobs broke forth as Erza's remaining eye opened._

 _"Je… llal…?"_

 _"That's right," he smiled through his tears. "It's me. You'll be safe now. I'm here with you."_

 _"H-How will we get out?"_

 _"Well," Jellal said as he escorted her down the hall. "There's no turning back now. "We're gonna have to fight." Red magic circles surrounded them as an alarm was set off. "Oh, no! Magic soldiers!"_

* * *

 _"I hope Sister's gonna be alright," Sh_ _ô said._

 _"Grandpa Rob," Simon said. "You came back from punishment alive. You think she'll be okay?"_

 _"I'm sure she's going to be fine. They can torture her all day and night, but they'll never be able to take her soul away from her."_

 _"What do you mean by that?" The door opened._

 _"Get in there," the guard snarled as he threw Erza in._

 _"Sister…"_

 _"Erza!"_

 _"Wait a minute, where's Jellal?"_

 _"Time to get to work," another guard said._

 _"Don't upset her anymore," Rob said. "We should just be happy that she's come back to us alive."_

 _"But Grandpa!"_

 _"I can only that they've chosen to keep him in her place."_

 _"I can't take it!"_ _Sh_ _ô sobbed. "I can't take it anymore!"_

 _"Quit your crying, kid," a guard warned._

 _"Calm down,_ _Sh_ _ô!" Simon said, trying to protect him._

 _"There's no need to cry," Rob soothed. "Everything's going to work out just fine."_

 _"Shut it, you little brat!" the guard shouted._

 _"Leave me alone!"_ _Sh_ _ô sobbed harder._ _ **We're gonna have to fight,**_ _Jellal had said. Erza's eye widened with rage._

 _"What are you doing?!" the other slaves heard Simon shout just before there was an explosion in their cell. Both of the guards were knocked out._

 _"No way…"_

 _"Could it be…?"_

 _"Mutiny!" a guard shouted. Erza turned, her face contorted with anger._

 _"What's gotten into you?!" Simon shouted._

 _"Find a weapon!" she ordered. "We can't escape and they're not going to set us free! So if we want out of here, we'll have to fight! For our lives! For our freedom!"_

* * *

"So we took a stand for our freedom," Erza said softly. "We hoped to save our dear friend Jellal. He was like the leader of our group back then. He had a strong sense of justice that I truly admired."

"But something changed up there," Natsu concluded.

"Yes… Something happened to him. It's almost as if he became an entirely different person. There's only one way I'd describe Jellal's new persona… Pure… unadulterated… _evil_.

* * *

 **I'm trying to figure out why I ship GaLe and Jerza so hard. Gajeel and Jellal are jerks! I think it's the fanfiction... Who knows?**

 **Somebody tell me why, and review!**

 **Edit: If I'm not replying to your review, it's not me. For some reason your reviews aren't showing up on the website.**


	53. Tower of Heaven Arc: Freedom

**To make up for me not posting for so long, you get a super long chapter!**

* * *

" _Don't go messing around with Mad Dog Wally!" Wally shouted._

 _"All that manual labor has made us stronger!" Simon roared._

 _"You brats!" a guard shouted before Erza hit him with her newfound sword. Even_ _Sh_ _ô and Millianna had weapons._

* * *

 _"This kid's no fun," the fat guard complained as they tortured Jellal. "He hasn't made a peep this whole time._

 _"Drop the tough guy act," the thin guard ordered. "Or we'll go to more extreme measures like we did with your little girlfriend."_

 _"You just don't get it," the far guard sighed. "You and your buddies don't realize how lucky you are to be building the R-System, do you?"_

 _"It's a special honor, and once the Tower is completed, everyone who worked on it goes to heaven."_

 _"We've got to use the R-System to resurrect our god!"_

 _"Shut up, you fat pig," Jellal snarled._

 _"What did you just call me?!"_

 _"Forget him. We're wasting our time here. We have to deal with the riot."_

 _"Rest up, kid, cause we're gonna keep sapping ya until you start begging our god for mercy."_

 _"God?" Jellal asked incredulously. "I don't believe there is such a thing. If there was, we wouldn't have to suffer like this. I hate it…"_

 _"_ _ **Is that so?**_ _" a disembodied voice said lazily. Red mist began floating in the room._

 _"I hate it," he spat. "Them and their god… everything about this lousy world!"_

 _"_ _ **Embrace your feelings of malice and share them with me…**_ _" Jellal's head lifted. "_ _ **I thrive on dark emotions. They make me stronger.**_ _" Realizing for the first time that there was no one in the room, he shouted, "Who's there?!"_

 _"_ _ **What amusing creatures**_ _," it said. "_ _ **I'm right here within their Tower, so very close to them. Yet they've gone through all this trouble to revive me? Just to make me flesh and bone.**_ _"_

 _"Show yourself!" Jellal shouted. Black blobs congealed in front of him._

 _"_ _ **They may have all the faith in the world. But your hatred allows you to sense my presence. Jellal. You are a fortunate child. For you have met the god they so revere.**_ _" Jellal's eyes turned huge as it laughed. "_ _ **My name is Zeref. And hatred is my very existence.**_ _"_

* * *

 _"We have to free everyone in Sector 8 today!" Erza shouted as Millianna bandaged_ _Sh_ _ô's wounded arm. "Come on, we can do it!"_

 _"No, we can't," Simon panted. "We could never take down all those guards."_

 _"We have to! That's the only way we'll be able to save Jellal…"_

 _"I guess she's into him," Wally said, nudging Simon. "Sorry, old buddy." Simon blushed._

 _"E-Erza," he stammered. "You don't have a crush on Jellal, do you?"_

 _"W-What?! Why would you ask me something like that?!" She blushed. "We… need to focus."_

 _"Sorry… But I just wanted to make sure, because -" A golden light nearly blinded them. An explosion knocked them down._

 _"Where'd that come from?!" Wally demanded._

 _"Look!" Millianna screamed, pointing to the air. Magic soldiers floated towards them._

 _"Simon!" Wally shouted._

 _"He's hurt!" Millianna whimpered. The former slaves began to flee as they were attacked. Erza could only look on in shock._

 _"No!" she shouted. "You can't give up like this! We have to fight to the end!" A fleeing slave knocked her over. A nearby explosion stunned her. When her vision was restored, she saw the magic soldiers charging up an attack to throw at her. There was no time to run. She closed her eyes and prepared for the end. There was an explosion, but she felt nothing. Erza's eyes flew open. Grandpa Rob was there in front of her._

 _"My magic may not be as strong as it once was," Grandpa Rob growled. "But it's still enough to protect my friends! I will not let you take the life of one so young!" The flames of his magic tore through stone and rubble. The magic soldiers were obliterated. Erza crawled to his side as he fell to his knees. "I may be a decrepit old man," he panted. "But deep down I've still got some fight left in me. As a wizard, my magic has always been intertwined with the very essence of my life. But I didn't realize how much so until I lost it, and soon found myself in this sorry state. Don't end up like me, Erza. You have so much potential. Don't let it go to waste!"_

 _"Grandpa…" He stood and protected her from the attacks that the guards were throwing at them._

 _"Your beautiful smile is the only thing that's kept me going while I've been stuck in this wretched place," Rob smiled._

 _"You're hurt, aren't you?"_

 _"Remember this… your freedom lies within your heart, child."_

* * *

 _"_ _ **There's no freedom in this world**_ _," Zeref said._

* * *

 _"Follow your heart," Rob smiled. "And your dream of becoming a wizard will come true!"_

* * *

 _"_ _ **I will make your dream come true.**_ _"_

* * *

 _"Grandpa!" Erza screamed as he turned to dust. "_ _ **NO!**_ _"_

* * *

 _"_ _ **True freedom lies with me.**_ _"_

* * *

 _"Erza!" Wally shouted. "We've got to retreat for now. Hurry up!" Her eyes were locked on Rob's empty cuffs. Tears were streaming down her horrified face. Power like she had never felt before rushed through her. A giant magic circle appeared underneath her as she screamed out her grief. Weapons from fallen hands lifted in the air. She directed them at the guards and shot them forward. All were destroyed._

 _The slaves looked on in wonder._ _ **You knew all along, Grandpa. You knew I had this power. Now that I've found it, I can use it to save Jellal! Flying will have to wait until later, Grandpa. This is our chance.**_

 _"We have to fight for our freedom!" she screamed. "Follow me!"_

 _Erza trapped the fat and thin guards in the room where they had so brutally tortured her. She shoved them out of the way and ran for Jellal. She held him, whispering comforting words to him. She told him how they had finally won their freedom._

 _"Wally found some boats, so we need to go."_

 _"Erza. There's no reason for us to run anymore." His strange words confused her. "Because true freedom is right here."_

 _"But I thought you wanted to get out of here too! This is our chance at freedom!"_

 _"Don't you see? There's no freedom in this world." Erza watched in horror as red smoke began to float off him. "Those fools who made the Tower may not hold you prisoner anymore, but you haven't experienced true freedom. Because that can only be found…" His voice changed and became layered._

 _"_ _ **In Zeref's world.**_ _" His voice went back to normal._

 _"Now I understand why they made us work so hard on this tower," he said. "They believe that they can use it to resurrect Zeref. You claim to be such devout followers, but you couldn't even sense your god's presence here." His eyes narrowed at the two leaders. "Could you? This tower is now mine. I will finish its construction and bring Zeref back to life!" He threw the guards around._

 _"Stop it! You're hurting him, Jellal!"_

 _"So what? Why do you care? I thought you hated them."_

 _"You're right, I do, but you're being cruel!"_

 _"If you want to sense Zeref's presence, you have to focus on your hatred." He extended a hand toward the fat guard, who was trying to crawl away. Jellal laughed after he killed him._

 _"You killed him!" Erza gasped. "What's gotten into you?!"_

 _"I haven't changed one bit," Jellal said. "I'm renaming this place the Tower of Heaven. Erza, you and I will stay here and finish it together."_

 _"What?!"_

 _"Once it's complete, we'll resurrect Zeref."_

 _"Why would anybody want to stay here when we finally have a chance to leave?!" Jellal looked at her. She was suddenly thrown back through a wall. "Fine. If you want to leave so badly, then I'm not going to stop you. But you'll have to go alone."_

 _"What do you mean?"_

 _"There's no way I could finish the tower's construction by myself. So I'm going to keep the others here with me. But don't worry. I promise I won't mistreat them. I'll make sure everyone's fed, and clothed, and they get plenty of rest between their shifts. I'm sure Zeref would prefer I build more hatred by ruling with an iron fist, but weak and unhappy people don't make very good workers."_

 _"They're not going to agree to that! Everybody's on the boats, ready to go! They're just waiting for us to join them! There's no way you could convince them to stay here and work for you now!"_

 _"Oh, I don't think I'll have any problem convincing them. Because I'm going to give them a purpose. Once they learn of Zeref's power, they'll happily work to resurrect him!"_

 _"But none of them would willingly become a sacrifice!" Erza protested._

 _"It doesn't matter. Zeref told me sacrifices aren't necessary. He's such a benevolent god, isn't he?"_

 _"Please, Jellal," Erza said with tears in her eyes. "You've got to try to come to your senses."_

 _"I could ask the same of you!" His magic bound and lifted her into the air. "I don't need you anymore. But since you took care of the fools who were in my way, I'll let you live. Enjoy your newfound 'freedom'. But I have some rules for you before you go."_

 _"I… can't breathe…"_

 _"I demand you never tell anyone of this place. If the government found out about the Tower of Heaven, I'd be in serious trouble." He floated her over to him, touching her chin. "If word were to get out, then I'd have no choice but to destroy the tower and everyone in it. You're forbidden from ever returning here again. Set one foot on this land… and I'll kill all of your friends. I figure_ _Sh_ _ô would have to be the first to go."_

 _"No! You wouldn't!"_

 _"One false move and your friends will die! I'll enjoy true freedom while you suffer, burdened by your guilt!" She was free at last…_

 _But at a terrible cost._

* * *

"I have to fight Jellal," Erza whispered. Tears were streaming down the left side of her face. "I have no choice. I have to do it…"

"I don't know, maybe it's just me," Gray said. "But somehow the name 'Zeref' seems familiar."

"I'd be surprised if you hadn't," Natsu said darkly. "He was a legendary black wizard."

"Wait a minute," Lucy said. "I remember someone saying that the monster that came out of Lullaby was one of Zeref's demons."

"I never mentioned it," Erza said. "But I suspect Deliora was a demon from the Books of Zeref as well."

"It was," Natsu said quietly. "Both of them. Zeref created many demons."

"If this wizard was as evil as you say," Juvia pondered, "then why would Jellal _want_ to bring him back to life?"

"I don't understand his motives either," Erza said. "However, my old friend Shô said something to me about Zeref getting them to heaven, and when that happens, the world will be reborn and they'll become its rulers." Natsu snorted, but didn't say anything.

"Ok," Lucy said. "There's one thing that confuses me about these people who claim to be 'old friends' of yours. Why are they accusing you of betraying them? Don't they realize Jellal's the bad guy here?"

"It's not their fault," Erza assured her. "I'm sure he fed them all sorts of lies about me once I left. But that doesn't change the fact that I abandoned them so long ago. In the end, I guess you could say I did betray them."

"You had no choice in the matter," Natsu said. "Jellal would have killed them if you returned. There was nothing you could do."

"None of that matters now," Erza responded. "If I can defeat Jellal, then it'll all be over. Leave it to me, ok?" _Why do I get the feeling she's hiding something?_ Gray wondered. He remembered how earlier she had said that she was going to 'vanish from this world'. _Something about those words bother me…_

"W-What's with that story, Sister?" Shô asked from the doorway, trembling.

"Shô…" Erza started.

"Are you trying to get your friends' sympathy with that nonsense?!" he demanded. "It's a load of crap! The truth was nothing like that! You blew up the boats and escaped on your own! We all would have ended up on the bottom of the sea had Jellal not caught wind of your betrayal! He saved us! He warned us not to trust wizards like you who haven't learned to use their magic properly! He said that you had become drunk on magical power, and you didn't want anything to do with your past, or the people you left behind!"

"Did you ever think he might be lying?" Gray asked.

"If you truly knew Erza," Lucy said, "then you'd know that she'd never do something like that."

"You… You only think you know her! You weren't there back then… You don't know anything about us! After you left, Jellal's words were my only salvation. And that's why I spent all these years working to finish the tower for him… I did it for his sake! Now you're trying to tell me it was all a lie?! You really expect me to believe… you're telling the truth and Jellal's been lying to us this whole time?!"

"That's right." Simon's looming figure appeared from the shadows.

"You!" Gray started angrily.

"Wait," Juvia instructed. "He doesn't pose a threat, my dear. He never meant you any harm. At the resort, he knew he was attacking your ice decoy."

"What?"

"Since it was he who cast the darkness spell, it had no effect on him. I came along in the hopes of discovering why he'd chosen to spare you."

"I'd expect no less from a member of Phantom's renowned Element Four," Simon bowed his head.

"I don't understand," Shô muttered.

"I had to fool you and the others into thinking I had killed him. I hoped our attack would lure them here."

"So you were lying too?" Shô whispered. "How could you do that to me?"

"I'm sorry," Simon said as he placed a hand on his shoulder. "Jellal had you under a spell, I couldn't convince you otherwise. So I played along until the time was right."

"So you knew all along," Erza said with wonder.

"I've always believed in you, Erza," Simon said. "And there's nothing that can change that. I mean those words from the bottom of my heart." Erza hugged him tightly.

"I never knew," Shô cried. "I can't believe I blindly followed him all these years. I doubted you… cause you left me all alone! You have no idea how much that hurt! I don't know what to do!" he sobbed. "I don't even know which one of you I should believe in anymore!" Erza knelt in front of her sobbing friend.

"I know it must be difficult to take all of this in at once," she said softly. "But Shô, there's something that you should know. Thought it's been many years, I have never once forgotten about any of you." They held each other as Shô continued to cry. "I'm sorry that I couldn't stand up to him. But I was so weak back then. Please forgive me."

"Now you're stronger, and ready to face him," Simon said. "Isn't that right?" Erza nodded. "I've waited all these years for this very moment. A group of powerful wizards gathered here."

"So what do you have planned?" Lucy asked.

"We're going to take down Jellal," he said. "We can do it if we work together. Between Erza and the Salamander, I'm sure we can do it."

"Uh, where is Natsu?" Gray frowned, looking around. It was true. Natsu had vanished without a trace sometime after Shô and Simon appeared.

"He must have gone ahead," Simon said.

"We should find and warn Wally and Millianna," Erza nodded. "There's no telling what Natsu will do if they start fighting him."

* * *

 **Ok guys, super important question here... Should Natsu get the cat head stuck on him? Seriously, I need to know. I sort of want to, and I definitely think it would be funny, but you guys have the final say. The first ten reviews decide it. So... better start reviewing!**

 **Edit: I can't write the next chapter until I have this feedback. So the more people that review, the sooner the next chapter will come out. It's your choice.**


	54. Tower of Heaven Arc: Nyan

**I know. I am horrible. But this is a long chapter, so please don't kill me. I've started a class at the local comunity college, so I'm gone all day Monday and Wednesday every week unless there's a holiday. And I'm a very lazy person.**

 **On a different note, I may or may not have been rewatching all nine episodes of Sherlock... Does anyone know where I can find the Abominable Bride?**

* * *

Natsu ran along the hall. He could hear the sound of… something that was very odd in this sort of place. Sliding to a stop in front of an open door, his eyes widened. _What. The. Crap._ The room was filled with cat stuff. His face wrinkled in disgust. "This is just awful…" he muttered, picking up a giant green cat head. "Who would actually wear this?" He walked over to the window, fully intent on throwing out the monstrosity. But he didn't see the footstool. Tripping, the cat head flew out of his hands. He heard a ripping sound as he landed. "Ow…" He stood, looking around. _Where's the cat head?_ He couldn't see in anywhere. _No. Oh no._ He slowly reached for his helmet. Cloth. _Oh, please no._

He was wearing the cat head.

Natsu struggled to pull it off, but it was jammed on his head. Tightly. "No!" he wailed. "I look like an idiot!" The horns of his helmet were poking through the cat head, so he looked like a green demon cat. "I hate my life… Wait. I know!" Natsu set himself on fire, and waited for the cat head to burn away. Nothing happened. " _Well, that's just great!_ " Natsu shouted. "This stupid thing is fire proof!" He heard a gun cocking behind him.

"End of the road for you, boy," Wally said.

* * *

"Something's interfering with my communic

ation with Wally and Millianna," Simon said as they ran up the stairs. "I can't even tell where they are now!"

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked.

"He's talking about telepathic communication," Juvia explained.

"Can't you talk to Natsu?" Erza demanded.

"His mind is locked tighter than the Council's secret files," Simon said. Erza stopped to look at Shô, who still appeared stricken.

"Is something wrong, Shô?" she asked.

"I'm fine," he murmured. "Everything's fine now that you're here."

"Juvia," Gray said quietly. "Can we really trust this guy? I mean, I understand that he wasn't trying to kill us back at the resort, but still…"

"I won't make excuses for my actions," Simon called back.

"I didn't think you could hear me."

"Any wizard who is incapable of surviving that would never had had a prayer against Jellal. I never doubted that Natsu could handle that attack. I was confident that he would survive."

"Umm… but what about me?" Lucy asked herself.

"None of you can comprehend the full extent of Natsu's ability," Simon continued. "Once he awakens the true power of the dragon within, evil will fall in his wake." He stopped and let the others pass. "Erza," he said quietly. "There is something else that you must know. There are dark rumors in the underworld about the Salamander. They say that he has dark, forbidden magic at his hands. Also, from what I've touched of his mind, there is something that is not right. I do not know who he really is, but I doubt it's fully human. Please be careful with him."

* * *

Natsu spun the moment he heard the gun cocking, but he knew that he could never dodge in time. Suddenly, Millianna shoved Wally so the shot went over Natsu's shoulder. _That was too close._

"What's the big idea?" Wally demanded.

"You big old meanie!" Millianna shouted. "You were trying to hurt the itty bitty kitty witty!"

"Wait a sec, that's not even a real cat, you crazy broad!"

"I am a cat," Natsu said, loathing every word.

"He's just the cutest little kitty ever!"

"A wise guy, eh?!" Wally shoved her aside. "I'm telling you, doll, this cat is a rat!" Blocks flew at Natsu. He easily dodged most of them, hefting a giant cat plush to block some of them.

"Cat Make: Barrier! Bahahaha!"

"No! Don't hurt the poor kitty!"

"For crying out loud, doll face, this dirty rat is our enemy!"

"Dirty rat? It looks like a kitty to me…"

"It's a guy in a cat costume, you dimwit!" Natsu was fighting with ease, destroying cat items left and right. "Brat! I guess Jellal wasn't pulling my leg when he told me this cat's got some real claws. Alright, toots, it's go time!"

"Pretending to be a cat when you're really just a person is a lousy thing to do!"

"You're one to talk! Sheesh, your obsession with cats is borderline psychotic! "

" **Kitty Restraint: Tube!** " Natsu felt his magic being cut off in his right arm.

"Well done, Millianna!"

"Wally! Beat up that fake kitty!"

"He's in the bag!" Natsu was very quickly tied up with tubes when he realized that it wasn't just his arm, it was his entire body that was cut off from his magic. "End of the line, Salamander. Whoops. I nearly forgot my dandy catchphrase." Natsu struggled against the restraints in vain. It was almost like it was sapping his strength too. "The moment you met me, your future was - Argh!" Happy hit Wally in the face with a robot cat.

"Happy? What are you doing here?"

"Natsu! Are you ok?"

"I got shot in the head last night, what do you think?!"

"What's up with the cat head?"

" _I freaking tripped! Now get this off me!_ "

"Aye, sir!"

"Look, pal, no one interrupts Wally and lives to tell the tale!" He shot at Happy, which earned a horrified shriek from Millianna.

"No! I won't let you hurt the little kitty witty!"

"Cats ain't flyers, and they ain't no stinken gum flappers either!"

" _Cat, you better untie me before I get pissed off!_ "

"Aye, sir!"

"Eat this!"

"Don't do it, Wally!"

"Let me go, you loony tune!"

"Hurry up, Happy!"

"I can't figure out how to get this stupid thing loose!"

"Use your teeth!"

"That doesn't work either!" Natsu only had one other choice… He had to do it. And throw his dignity away.

"Here goes… Special Attack!" he shouted, to draw the others' attention. "Meow?" Natsu put all the pain he could muster into his voice, hoping that it worked. Because if it didn't, he was going to be both dead and without a shred of dignity. Tears filled Millianna's eyes as the ropes dropped.

"Whoa, it really worked!"

"Thank the gods," Natsu muttered.

"What are you doing, Millianna?!" Wally shouted.

"The poor little kitty looked so sad!"

"Oh, for crying out loud!"

"Go get them, Natsu!"

" **Fire Dragon Wing Attack!** Don't… Don't take away my magic. I'm not a huge fan of it."

"So how long are you gonna wear that thing?"

"Till I can get it off…"

"You look like a demon cat!"

"Shut up! I know that!"

"Pull harder!"

"I'm pulling as hard as I can!" It finally came off with a small pop.

"Yes! Freedom! I no longer look like an idiot!"

"This ain't over yet, Salamander!" Wally shouted.

"Actually, it is. I'm through here."

"Talk all you want," Wally said. "But we're still going to get to heaven." _Heaven?_ "Jellal told us we'd finally have real freedom in a world where palookas like us are calling the shots." Natsu didn't have time to question him further when a voice echoed through the speakers.

" **I welcome you to the Tower of Heaven.** " The voice was smooth and self-assured. Oddly familiar as well.

"And there he is!" Wally grinned.

"Trust me, I'll put the beat down on him. Now…" Natsu turned to Wally and Millianna. He used a memory spell to erase their memory of him in the cat head. Happy didn't escape either.

After he was finished, he ran out of the room. "Happy, find the others and tell them to get out of here. I'll take care of the Tower."

" **My name is Jellal,** " the voice continued. " **And I am the ruler of this tower. I see the players have been arranged** _._ "

"Say what?" Gray muttered.

"So he knows we're here," Simon said. "He could be lurking anywhere in the tower, waiting for us."

" **I'm delighted you've come all this way to see me** ," Jellal's voice smirked. " **Shall we play a round of 'Heaven's Game'** _?_ "

"And what if I don't want to play?" Natsu retorted, arms crossed. He knew that Jellal would have cameras hidden around the tower.

"What do you mean, Jellal?" Wally said.

" **The rules are simple. I wish to use Erza as a sacrifice in a ceremony to revive Zeref.** " Natsu's eyes went wide.

 _Kokino… No… Erza… I can't let them get mixed up. Kokino was my past. Erza is the present._

"No, I won't let you!" Shô wailed.

" **If I succeed, the gates of heaven will open, crowing my victory. However, if you can manage to find a way to stop me, you'll be the winners of the game. To make things a little more interesting, I've enlisted three knights to battle on my behalf.** "

"Three knights?" Simon muttered. "Who could they be?"

" **The only way for you to get to me is if you can defeat them. In other words, a three-on-eight battle royale. One final note… The Magic Council has the Satellite Square focused directly on this tower… and it's highly likely they will attack. In this very moment, they are in the midst of voting on whether they should fire an Etherion blast. There's no telling how much time is left. Should the Etherion strike, complete annihilation is imminent. No players left to win. Game over.** "

"What kind of messed up game is this?" Lucy whimpered.

"But that doesn't make any sense!" Erza growled. "Why would the Magic Council resort to such drastic measures?" She suddenly felt Shô's magic around her, and she was trapped in a card.

"Erza!" Gray shouted.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Simon demanded.

" **Now, then… Let the game begin.** "

"I won't let him lay a finger on her," Shô said.

"Let me out of here!" Erza shouted.

"I'll beat Jellal all by myself if I have to!" he went on, running away.

"No!" Simon roared. "You can't do it alone!"

* * *

"I'm going to have to reach the top of the tower to reach Jellal," Natsu thought out loud.

"But why would he want to do this to us?" Wally said. "If they really fire that thing, it's gonna be curtains for everybody." Natsu turned. "We were all just a bunch of stupid kids lookin for our own little taste of freedom."

"I don't know what kind of freedom you're looking for," Natsu said after a moment of contemplation. "But Fairy Tail's got a nice bit of freedom itself. I'm sure Erza would be thrilled if you joined." He glared at the statue for a moment. "Now, I'm not liking this game so far, so I'm going to bend the rules a little. You might want to leave." As Wally scurried off, Natsu cracked his neck and stretched every limb. "Haven't done this in a while," he muttered. "I really ought to stretch out more." Fire accumulated at his feet as he shot through a window. _I just need to reach the top, and defeat Jellal to save Kokino - crap! No, not Kokino. Erza. To save Erza._

 _I won't fail this time._

* * *

 **Please tell me your theories! I want to hear them! I'll try to get another chapter out by this weekend.**


	55. Tower of Heaven Arc: Trinity Raven

**Uhhh... Hi? *Sent flying by angry fans***

 ***Natsu walks in* "Great. Look what you've done. I think she had some notes for this... Let's see... *Searches notes* Well, she doesn't really have an excuse for being so freakishly late with this chapter. She's been writing fanfiction for... *squints at notes* a ramen ingredient? Why is she going crazy over a scarecrow? She is also curious if you guys would be interested in reading said fanfiction, though why you would want to read fanfiction about naruto is beyond me. Sure, it's good in ramen, but to write stories about it? That's just weird."**

 **Natsu-kun... help me...**

 **"You brought this on yourself."**

 **But then they'll kill me and you'll stop existing!**

 **"That's not exactly a bad thing."**

 **... I hate you sometimes. You really suck. Aren't you curious about Lucy though?**

 **"Well... yeah, but... Augh! Fine! Readers, don't hurt her. Or else." *Glares***

* * *

Natsu was a decent way up to the top when he heard the sound of… an engine? He heard a gleeful cackled that sounded way too much like an owl. _I know that sound._ He barely dodged the figure, jetting off as fast as he could. This person was not someone to be messed with, and Natsu doubted he could defeat him without revealing his true power. He heard the sound of the jetpack right behind him, tried to turn in time to block, but was punched in the chest and sent flying into a tunnel.

Simon ran in just as Natsu slammed onto the top of a floating cage. He vaguely wondered why anyone would go to the trouble of hanging all those cages in this giant room as he struggled to his feet.

"Salamander, it's you!" Simon shouted.

"Who the hell did you think I was?" Natsu demanded. "Jellal? But nevermind that, you need to go. I can't fight to my full capacity if you're here. Before you go, I have a question: what is Jellal's reasoning behind this 'game'?"

"He's got a twisted sense of humor," Simon shrugged. "He's the younger twin of Siegrain, a member of the Magic Council."

"I know who Siegrain is," Natsu snapped. "He must have foreseen that the Council would use an Etherion blast. This is all just a fight between brothers… I can understand that."

"It's possible… I don't know the specifics of their relationship, or whether they are at odds, but -" A rustling distracted them. _It's him…_

"I will not tolerate the breaking of rules!" The owl man shouted. "Now prepare yourselves to be punished in the name of justice!"

"Fukuro," Natsu said. "It's been awhile, hasn't it? Still calling yourself the 'knight of true justice'?"

"This is bad," Simon muttered. " **Dark Moment!** "

"This isn't helping!" Natsu snarled. "He can see in the dark! My night vision isn't as good as his!"

"We need to leave now!" Simon said. "We don't stand a chance against him!" Natsu's eyes were drawn immediately to the flash of light as Fukuro attacked Simon.

" **Justice Hoot!** " The darkness vanished as Simon crashed into a wall.

"What did I tell you?!" he shouted.

"These guys mean business," Simon growled.

"I know; they're assassins from the Death's Head Order!" Natsu snapped. "I've gone up against them once a long time ago. This guy here is a member of Trinity Raven. While I'm positive I can take down this guy, I don't know if the others can." _If my Koki- No! Erza. If Erza runs up against Ikaruga, I don't know who will win._ Natsu's eyes narrowed. _I must protect her._

"Then you know that they are professional assassins and too much for you!"

"Relax," Natsu shrugged. "I've gone up against all three of them at once and it ended in a draw. Meaning I can take down this birdbrain."

"Ah, yes, Salamander," Fukaru said. "It's been a long time since I have met someone with a reputation as vile as yours. You have grown from the little boy we fought against. It is my duty as a knight of justice to see that you are punished!" A ball of fire swirled in Natsu's hand.

"You are helping Jellal with his plan, no?" he asked softly. "Meaning you want to use Erza as a sacrifice to bring back Zeref. I can't allow that. I'm a lot stronger than I was all those years ago. I've got the hang of this Dragon Slayer magic at last."

"Hoo?" Fukuro chuckled. "Then I won't get to see what's under that mask once again?" Natsu snarled.

"Shut up. People who kill for money are scum. I once found myself one of those people. But then I joined a legal guild, and you could say that things got interesting. I found someone… that reminds me of someone very precious. And I won't let you touch her!"

"How naive, Salamander," Fukuro laughed. "I'm doing this world a great service by destroying those who commit evil deeds! **Thrusters!** And since you are an evil doer, you must be destroyed!" Fukaru moved faster than Natsu's eyes could track, which was saying something. A fist slammed into Natsu's gut, and he held on tightly, trying to keep himself from being thrown around. He wasn't wearing his armor, expecting this to be a normal vacation. How wrong he had been. "No armor, Salamander? This will be easier than I thought."

"As if," Natsu smirked. "You really think you can fight fire with fire? It ain't gonna happen!" He slung Fukuro at one of the cages.

"Once again! **Thrusters!** " Natsu barely dodged the initial blow, but when he felt a large fist wrap around his ankle, he thought, _Oh, crap._ Fukuro threw him into a cage after dragging him around.

"That hurt," he grunted, slowly standing.

"Just as sturdy as the last time we fought," the owl man noted. "This will be my first challenging job in a while! And at last, you finally reveal your face." _What._ Glancing behind him, Natsu realized that his helmet had been knocked off his head. His visor was in shards. _Craaaap._ He turned to where Simon was standing in shock as Natsu pulled his mask down and spat to the side.

"Tell a soul of what you see and I'll rip your throat out," he warned.

"So the rumors were true," Simon muttered. "No wonder you can go toe to toe with one of the Trinity Raven."

"Now that I've been outed," Natsu said, his gauntlets clicking against each other, "I might as well go all out on you. I may not be wearing my armor this time, but make no mistake: I will kill you."

* * *

"Natsu!" Lucy shouted. She and Juvia were trying to locate Fairy Tail's most dangerous fire wizard, with limited results. "Natsu! Drat. He had good ears, so he should be able to hear us, even from far away.

"Ah, so he's just like Gaj," Juvia agreed. "Does he have a keen nose as well?"

"You call him 'Gaj'?!"

"Why is Juvia helping you find Natsu anyway?"

"You're ignoring me? Look, that's just how it is, you know?"

"What was my beloved Gray thinking, putting two love rivals together? Didn't he know that it would be a bloodbath?"

"It's not like that! We're just friends!" At that moment, the shredding of a guitar echoed from one of the tunnels. "What is making that awful noise?! Is it a guitar?! It's so loud!"

"Juvia quite likes it."

"You are really messed up, you know that?" The guitar player stepped into view and began swinging his long hair around.

"You babes dig my destruction solo?" the man grinned. "I'm an assassin with the Death's Head Order. Pretty rockin' name, huh? A death's head is like a skull, get it?"

"I take it that you are one of the three knights Jellal spoke of?" Juvia questioned.

"Vidaldus Taka, one of the Trinity Ravens!" he grinned, shredding on his guitar again. Then his hair flew everywhere as he screamed, "Rock you!"

Lucy dodged the flying hair frantically while Juvia merely let it pass through her water body. Vidaldus's eyes widened.

"Whoa! That's one kuh-razy body you got there," he cackled.

"Juvia's body is made entirely of water. Drip, drip, drop."

"Alright, Juvia," Lucy said nervously. "It's up to you!"

"Your attacks will have no effect on me," she continued. " **Water Lock!** "

"What's that? You say you wanna rock?" Juvia sealed the orb of water.

"All too easy," she sighed.

"You Element Four people are scary!" Lucy chuckled nervously. "I'm so glad you're on our side now!" Suddenly, the Water Lock grew smaller. To their shock, it completely vanished, leaving Vidaldus free.

"I don't understand why my Water Lock just disappeared!" Juvia gasped.

"Where did all that water go?" Lucy cried.

"Sometimes it's just best to give your locks a good rinse," Vidaldus leered. "Shampooing every day can really dry out your hair."

"But how are you able to break free from my Water Lock?" Juvia demanded.

"It was easy, 'cause my rock star hair absorbs liquids. Just as long as it ain't oil or alcohol, y'know. That stuff'll really mess up your doo."

"Water has no effect on him?" Juvia wondered, starting to feel worried.

"That's not good," Lucy agreedmvdl,,msd.

"Man, I gotta tell ya, both of you ladies are hot babes!"

"Oh, here we go again!" Lucy complained.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I swear, being this cute can be a real curse sometimes."

"Eeny meeny miney moe, catch a girl by the toe," Vidaldus said, waving his finger between Lucy and Juvia. The finger landed on the latter. "It's decided! I'm going to make you my succubus today!"

"Your succubus?" Juvia said doubtfully as he began to shred.

" **Rock of Succubus!** Hell yeah!" The magic hit Juvia hard.

"What's happening to me?!" she screamed. "No! Leave me alone!"

"Juvia!" Lucy shouted. "What's going on?!"

"Stop!" Juvia shrieked. "Stay out!" Then she gave a chilling scream. Steam and light filled the room.

* * *

 **Ehehehehe. So, yeah. I know, I suck. But seriously, would you guys be interested in reading any Naruto fanfiction I write? As of right now, it's all I can really focus on, and I'm trying super hard to keep it from bleeding into Fairy Tail.**

 **I also have two dogs. One is a puppy named Thor. Say hi, Thor! *licks my face* Oh well.**

 **But hey, now you know I'm alive!**


	56. Tower of Heaven Arc: Succubus

**And I'm back again! Yay! Oh, and I got three thousand views in two days. Holy crap, guys. According to my traffic stats, I had a little under four hundred visitors, which means that it only counts people who viewed it in their accounts, or you guys read it more than once. I did the math. If you all read it the same number of times, you each read it about seven times.**

 **WTH?**

 **But, hey, I'm not complaining either way. This is awesome!**

 **This is a longer chapter this time, too!**

* * *

"Juvia!" Lucy cried out, desperately searching for the Water mage. Vidaldus grinned at her.

"She's my slave now, babe," he said. A figure appeared in the steam. It was Juvia. But not the woman who dressed so conservatively; no, this was a very different Juvia.

"I'm gonna take you on a ride straight to Hell, Blondie!" the new Juvia grinned. "Say your prayers if you wanna, but you're still goin' to Hell tonight!" She began laughing.

"What did that guy do to her?" Lucy whimpered.

"Rock on!" Vidaldus cheered, playing his guitar. Juvia whooped in delight.

"It's so loud!" Lucy complained. "Juvia, is all this noise making you act like this?!"

"Don't waste your breath!" Vidaldus cackled. "My Succubus spell made this gloomy groopie here my slave! I got her like a dog on a chain! But the game would be no fun if I turned you both into slaves. No, what I wanna see is a catfight between two chicks! You know, with all the rippin' and exposin' and goin' 'eek!'!"

"You're a real sicko," Lucy said, turning crimson.

"Oh yea?" he leered. "You really know how to sweet talk me, don't you, baby?"

"That little baby is about to get the spanking of her life," Juvia grinned as she transformed her body into water. She surrounded Lucy in a whirl of water.

"Aw, man!" Lucy said, shielding her face, "I just changed clothes!"

"Now then," Juvia grinned, reappearing. "We need to work on your image if you really wanna rock. You gotta start by showing a little more skin!" And with that, she ripped off the front of her dress. Lucy screamed in horror and embarrassment.

"Oh yeah!" Vidaldus shouted, playing some rather high notes on his guitar. "I'm bad to the bone!" Lucy pulled off her bandana and frantically tied it around her chest.

"Don't let him get to you!" Lucy begged. "You've got to snap out of it, Juvia!" She gasped as Juvia headbutted her. Then she was surrounded with water again. _Again?! Seriously?!_ A watery hand grabbed her hair and threw her across the room. "Listen!" she shouted, standing up. Her head was throbbing painfully, and her vision was a little blurry. "If you really want to join Fairy Tail like you said you did, this isn't the best way to go about getting in!" Juvia merely dropped the strands of hair she had pulled from Lucy's head and grinned.

"Now we're really rocking!" Vidaldus laughed. "But I need more screams in the mix! Create some mach for me!"

" **Water Whip!** " Juvia shouted, turning her arm to water and smacking Lucy with it.

"Yeah! That's the sound that sets my ears on fire!" he grinned as she yelped in pain. "Real hardcore rock 'n roll!"

"You like that?!" Lucy raged.

"Don't put the brakes on the catfight, girls! Get nasty like you're fighting over a dude that rocks your world!" Juvia's eyes narrowed in rage.

"She wants my man!" she snarled. "She's my rival!"

"No, I'm not!" _This is hopeless,_ Lucy thought as another wave of water hit her. _He has complete control over her. I've got to do something! There's no way I can beat Juvia in a real fight… She's too strong!_ She heard Juvia laughing.

"You're going to drown in my body of water!" she said gleefully. _I can't… hold my breath…_

 _Lucy. Lucy._ Her eyes widened as she heard the voice of the Juvia she knew. _Can you hear me?_

 _Juvia?!_

 _I'm sorry… I can't control my actions._

 _It's like she's in my head,_ Lucy thought.

 _Juvia doesn't want to hurt her friend. Is it… presumptuous of me to call us friends? It's true that you're my romantic rival vying for my dear Gray's love…_

 _Not really…_

 _But Juvia has come to love Fairy Tail! It's full of caring… full of fun… full of warmth… Even when it's raining, it's as if the sun is shining brightly inside Fairy Tail. Juvia never knew it was okay to smile so much in a guild… She was so close to being friends with everyone, but now… Juvia really does bring misfortune wherever she goes…_

 _She's crying,_ Lucy realized. _I can feel the warmth of Juvia's tears, despite being underwater._

"Juvia! It's time to finish her off!" Lucy was launched out of the water and hit the ground hard.

"This is the end," Juvia smirked.

"S-Someone like you…" Lucy whispered as she struggled to stand. "Someone who'd shed tears for their friends… will _always_ be welcome in the Fairy Tail guild! I know you're a good person! And thanks to you, I just had a great idea!"

"What a load of crap," Vidaldus muttered. "Finish her off already, Juvia!"

"Oh, I will!" Juvia grinned. "My Water Jigsaw will cut you into little pieces! This will finish you for good!" Lucy waited until the last second, then shoved Aquarius' key into the water.

" **Open, Gate of the Water-Bearer: Aquarius!** "

"What the-!"

"She summoned her spirit using my body?!"

"If there's water, I can always summon Aquarius, the fiercest celestial spirit! I have you to thank, Juvia!" Aquarius glared at her.

"I get called all the way out here for _you annoying cows?!_ " she raged, filling the room with water.

"That won't work!" Vidaldus shouted. "Water's the best thing for my hair, so as long as it's goin', I'm gonna keep sucking it up!"

"Juvia!" Lucy shouted once she surfaced.

"Over here!" she yelled back. When their hands connected, a bright light filled the room.

* * *

Natsu paused after brutally kicked Fukuro across the room. _Is that what I think it is?_ He shook his head and grinned. _A Unison Raid. I never would have thought that Lucy could pull something like that off. More and more, she demands my attention._

* * *

"Wh-What's with all this water?!" Vidaldus wailed. "It's way more than I can absorb!" Together, they pulled the water and used it to throw him into the ceiling. "Wicked!" And then his hair popped off and they all fell into the water.

"We won!" Lucy shouted, hugging the other girl after seeing Vidaldus' prone body.

"Juvia is back to normal!" she cheered.

"I'm so glad," Lucy said softly, rest her forehead against Juvia's. "Thanks for all of your help." Aquarius ruined the moment by snarling at Lucy.

"Listen, girly," she growled. "You better watch where you summon me from here on out. Because if I ever find myself popping out of a toilet in a filthy public restroom, you're as good as dead."

"I'm sorry about that, ma'am!"

"I'm going to have nightmares now…"

"So don't go getting creative again," Aquarius continued. "Got it?"

"I-I won't! I promise!"

"Oh, I'll be going on vacation with my sexy man… _SO DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT SUMMONING ME._ "

"Yes, ma'am…"

"You'll understand when you have a boyfriend," she scoffed. "Like that'll happen…"

"Hey! I'm single by choice!"

"I'm sure you'll find your true love someday," Juvia said. Lucy sighed, and then smiled.

"Yeah, maybe so." Then she lay down in a puddle of water. "We just took down a member of Trinity Raven. I bet you that creepy Jellal guy never expected that one."

"Well, I didn't do much of anything," Juvia murmured. "It was all you, Lucy."

"That's not true. We worked together. You were there to help me when I needed it the most. That's what friends are supposed to do for each other. It meant a lot to me. So from now on, that's how I'd like you to think of me. As a friend that you can count on. If that's ok with you." Juvia's eyes glistened with tears.

"Just great," she whispered as she fell to her knees. "As if there's not enough water in here already…" Lucy laughed.

"It's ok; tears of joy are allowed. Man, I'm tired. How about we just stay here and rest for a bit?"

"That's a good idea. I could use a break."

* * *

Natsu ripped his bloody fist from Fukuro's corpse as the sun set. _I've wasted too much time here._ He turned to where Simon was watching in horror. "We need to get moving if we're going to save Erza." Simon nodded in shock.

"What are you?" he whispered as Natsu pulled his helmet back on. He paused before raising his mask.

"Alive," Natsu said softly. "I have a mind of my own, and I live. I don't really need any other descriptor. Now let's go." Just then, Gray ran in.

"What the hell happened here?" he demanded. Natsu flicked blood off his hand.

"I happened. Now can we please leave? We've got to find Erza!" Gray hesitated a moment before nodding. _Erza._

* * *

"Do it again!" Gray demanded, wearing nothing but his boxers in the guild hall. "Why does it say I'm really lucky today?! You must have read the cards wrong!" Cana frowned at him.

"Look, I know what I'm doing, and I didn't read them wrong. Doing it again isn't going to change it. It's your lucky day, so just deal with it, for crying out loud."

"Well, I don't believe it! Jeez, I fell into a ditch this morning, and now I can't find my stupid wallet… Today totally sucks!" The doors opened, and a small redheaded girl walked in, looking around. She was wearing only a ragged dress, and carrying a sack. There was an eyepatch over her right eye, indicating some injury.

"So this is the place Grandpa Rob belonged to," she murmured softly.

A month later, and she still hadn't fit in. Whenever the guild threw a party, she always sat off to the side.

"That girl's always by herself," Cana said one day.

"Why don't you just go talk to her, then?" Gray growled.

"I tried that, but she totally ignored me," she shrugged.

"I don't like her," he muttered. "She's a newbie, but didn't even introduce herself to the great Gray!"

"When did you get such a big head?" Gray stalked over to where the new girl was eating.

"Hey! What's up?" Silence. Angry at being ignored, he kicked the table over. Erza sighed and turned to him.

"Is there a problem?" she asked coldly.

"You know this is a wizards guild, right? That stupid armor won't protect you here!"

"Maybe not, but at least I have the common decency to wear _something._ That's more than I can say for you, perv." The people watching began laughing as Gray reacted.

"Oh, she's got a real mouth on her," Wakaba grinned.

"She got you there, Gray!" Macao said cheerfully.

"What'd you call me?" Gray snarled, enraged.

"If you're smart, you'll leave me alone," the girl continued. Gray growled. It turned out to be a mistake.

"Did you let that little girl beat the crap out of you again?" Macao asked a few days later.

"You know, I'm starting to think you like it. Or maybe you just like her," Wakaba chuckled.

"Shut up!" Gray shouted.

"She must be pretty tough if she can take down 'The Gray', huh?" he continued.

"Yeah, if she keeps it up, next thing you know, she'll be calling the shots around here," Macao agreed.

"No, she won't!" Gray raged. "She'll never be one of us!" He stormed out to find her. Erza was sitting by the river, watching the sunset. "Can't hide from me, you redheaded freak," he grinned before running over to her. "Alright, Erza! Bring it on! You're the one who's going down this time!" She turned, and he saw the tears in her eyes. Gray froze.

"It's you again," she said softly. Erza stood and wiped away her tears. "What is it with you? Haven't you learned your lesson? Alright. Give me your best shot." Gray couldn't move, surprised that the girl he had always found so tough could actually cry like a girl. He was blushing a little as well, embarrassed for intruding on her.

"Oh… well, uh…"

"What's the matter?" Erza demanded. "You're not chickening out, are you?"

"Tell me something," Gray said after a moment. "How come you're alone all the time?"

"I just...prefer to be alone. Cause I get nervous around other people."

"Oh yeah?" he said, still blushing. "Well, you're alone now, so why you crying?" He walked over to the riverbank and plopped down.

"You're not going to fight me again?" Erza asked hesitantly.

"I can do whatever I want!" he snapped. "Besides, I can't fight a girl who's crying!"

* * *

 _She kept her heart shielded in armor, because she thought that was the only way to keep it from breaking again._ Gray followed Natsu and Simon down the hall as he thought. _But it didn't stop the pain. I hope she know that her friends in Fairy Tail are ten times better than any armor. With us around, she'll never cry again._

* * *

 **I really hope you guys enjoyed this! However, I don't know when the next chapter is coming out, because this one took up everything I wrote over the past few hours.**

 **So, I really do want your opinions on the Naruto fanfiction. I also want your opinions on Natsu, because he's by far my favorite character. Btw, you won't ever have to worry about me dropping this. It's my best friend's favorite one of all of my fanfics, so I will finish it if it's the last thing I do!**


	57. Tower of Heaven Arc: Haiku

**I'm tired, thirsty, and hot. But here's your chapter.**

* * *

Shô ran down the hall, cursing Jellal's name. "How dare you lie to us? I won't let you get away with it!"

"Calm down, Shô!" Erza shouted from the card.

"He's gotta pay for what he did!" Shô shouted, tears filling his eyes.

"You're going to need my help to find him! Release me from this card at once!"

"I can't do that! I'm sorry, but it's for your own good! You're safe in there!" _I'm an S-class wizard!_ Erza thought. _I can take care of myself!_ However, most of her was touched at Shô's determination to keep her safe.

"Don't be stupid!" Erza shouted. They entered a large room filled with water. A single sakura tree stood in the center, sending its blossoms into the air. A woman stood on the bridge, blocking their way. She had pale skin and pink hair that she wore partly up. She wore a white kimono that bared her shoulders, and held a katana with a decorated hilt.

"Kon'nichiwa," she said softly. "I am the one they call Ikaruga. Who might you be?" Shô lifted his cards.

"Get out of my way, lady," he snarled. "Don't make me hurt you!"

"Dear me," Ikaruga sighed. "Why must I be burdened by such a boorish man?"

"I warned you!" Shô roared as he threw the cards at her. She lifted her sword. Erza didn't even see the movement. All she saw was a flash as light caught the blade, and then the cards peeled in half. "Impossible!" he gasped.

"There is nothing I cannot cut with my katana," Ikaruga smirked.

"What are you, a cheap street performer?" He raised another handful of cards, but there was a flash of pain and he couldn't move.

"I've just severed your nerves without cutting your clothing or flesh," she said. "Don't challenge my Mugetsu style."

"Let me out!" Erza shouted, banging on the invisible barrier.

"I can't…"

"Well, well, what do we have here?" Ikaruga said with a smile. "I wondered where you were hiding, Erza."

"You've got to release me, Shô! She's too powerful for you to take on by yourself!"

"Don't worry about me," he said. "All that matters is that you're safe. I've added shielding to your card… She can't harm you from the outside!"

"Is that so? Let's test that theory, shall we?" Ikaruga slowly drew her sword.

"Your spell won't hold up against her! That's no ordinary sword she's wielding! It's magical!"

"You're safe, I promise!" Ikaruga sliced the air. "Trust me…" Erza began slicing at the barrier until it fell apart and she was free.

"I suspected your attack would weaken Shô's sealing spell," she said. "So I took the liberty of cutting it wide open. You said your name's Ikaruga? I have no business with you. Begone."

"Is that how you say hello?" Ikaruga smiled. Suddenly, Erza's armor crumbled into pieces. "You seem surprised," she noted calmly. "A skilled warrior like you should have seen that coming." She began to sing a haiku. "Is what you gaze at, the evil apparition, far beyond the mist?" Erza's eyes narrowed. "Your single minded focus on Jellal has rendered you a fledgling novice, completely unaware to my katana flashing about you." She received a glare that few members of Fairy Tail didn't fear. "Yes, there's the look I've been waiting for. I'm not your ordinary passerby, you know."

"No, it would seem not," Erza seethed. She requipped into her Heaven's Wheel armor, a sword in each hand. "You're my enemy."

"Come," Ikaruga smirked. Erza launched herself at the other woman, jumping high into the air.

" **Heaven's Wheel: Circle Sword!** "

" **Mugetsu Style: Yasha-Senku!** " Erza's swords shattered and fell to the ground in pieces. A second slash, and her armor shattered. She screamed in pain. " **Mugetsu Style: Karuda-En!** " Flames burst out in a circle. Erza rapidly requipped into her Flame Empress armor - a gift that had shown up on her birthday. No one had claimed responsibility, but she suspected it had been from Natsu. It was old, powerful armor.

"Ah, the Flame Empress armor. It is highly resistant to flame attacks, is it not? I'm impressed that you were able to requip in that instant." Then it shattered. "How embarrassing to be inappropriately dressed in that young man's presence," Ikaruga tsked. "I suggest you adorn yourself with the most powerful armor you posses."

"You'll regret this," Erza snarled. " **Purgatory Armor, Requip!** " She pulled a large sword out of her pocket dimension. "No one who has seen this armor has lived to talk about it!"

"This is the most powerful armor in your collection?" Ikaruga said mockingly. "Let's test its limits." Erza raced through the air before slamming her sword at her, the blow so powerful it damaged one of the walls. She swung it again, pushing Ikaruga back a few paces. They exchanged powerful blows, stunning Shô. But at last, Erza cried out in pain, falling to her knees as her armor shattered once more.

"Now do you understand?" she chuckled. "There is no suit of armor you can wear that can withstand my sword. Admit your defeat." Erza struggled to her feet and made a final requip. _This is my last chance._ It was simple. Soft flowing red pants with flames at the ankles, and bandages wrapped around her chest. Her hair was pulled up in a single ponytail. She wielded two katanas of her own.

"Is this some kind of joke?" Ikaruga smirked. "Why would you trade out your armor for an outfit made of regular cloth? Is this peculiar choice of dress designed to mock me?"

"What are you doing, Sis?!" Shô wailed. "You have plenty of other strong armor! You're even stronger than that, right?!"

"I'm… I'm not strong at all," Erza whispered. "I've never been strong… It's all a lie. I lost many friends as I looked on. I wasn't able to protect those dear to me. And… I was always crying. To make myself… To make myself seem stronger… I sealed my heart inside armor… and cried… I always wore armor because I was weak. I was never able to take it off."

"Wear it or not," she shrugged, "it makes no difference to me. I will strike you down just the same."

"I thought my armor protected me, but it did more harm than good," Erza went on. "It shielded me from pain, but it kept me distanced from others. My heart was too guarded to connect with anyone. That is, until I joined Fairy Tail. Everyone was so warm and caring that my cold shell began to crack, and I began to feel emotions again!

"I can't rely on my armor anymore. I know I'm strong enough to defeat you without it! I will strike you down with my all!" One pass was all that was needed. One of Erza's katanas shattered like its mates.

"Our battle… is over," Ikaruga smiled. And then her sword broke. "Most… impressive," she whispered as she fell to the ground.

"Sister," Shô said softly. "What you did was amazing…"

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"I think so." The pink haired woman started murmuring a haiku before going unconscious.

"In fifteen minutes… The light of justice, shall come raining from the sky, massacre awaits… What a wretched haiku…"

"Shô," Erza said sharply. "Find the others and get as far away from here as you can. She's talking about the Etherion blast."

"What? Sister…"

"I know it's hard, but will you do this for me, Shô?" Erza smiled softly at him. He hesitated for a moment.

"Ok… But what about you?" Erza frowned deeply as she turned.

"I'm going to settle things… once and for all."

* * *

"Gray, Happy, go find a way off this rock," Natsu ordered. "Simon and I will find Erza."

"I've contacted the others," Simon said. "They'll meet you wherever you decide."

"But Natsu," Happy said. "The bad guys took all the boats."

"We came in a boat, didn't we? Go to that. The Etherion blast is in fifteen minutes. You guys need to get away from here as soon as possible." Gray hesitated, and Natsu gave him a murderous glare. He was really scary now that his eyes were uncovered. "I said go!"

"Aye, sir!" Happy wailed, grabbing Gray and flying off.

"Let's go find Erza," Natsu said, walking past Simon. He started to follow, but grunted and held his stomach. "What's wrong? You hurt?"

"No, I'm fine. I got word from Wally. He and Millianna found Lucy and Juvia. They're alright, but exhausted. They took down a member of Trinity Raven." _Really? Lucy is getting more interesting by the second. It would be a shame if she died before I got a chance to study her._ "They were confused at first because they weren't aware of the situation, but they're going to take them out of the tower now. Shô's also informed me that the last member of Trinity Raven has been defeated as well."

"Erza?"

"Erza."

"Seems legit." _I knew Kokino would pull through. No. Erza. Crap._ Natsu concentrated and created a quick thought projection, then sent it off to where he sensed Ikaruga. Simon wisely didn't ask what he was doing.

"That leaves only Jellal now. Erza is on her way to him as we speak." Natsu's eyes became huge.

"What?!" he shouted. _No! Kokino! I can't let you face Jellal by yourself! I need to - I need to protect you!_

"She has a score to settle, and whether we like it or not, she intends to do it on her own. I'm sure you're aware that she and Jellal have quite a history. It's as if they're destined to fight each other."

"I don't believe in destiny," Natsu said flatly, crossing his arms. "It all comes down to freewill."

"I'm worried about her because Jellal is stronger than she knows," Simon went on. "I beg you. You have to help her fight him." Natsu's eyes narrowed.

"You clearly have no idea who you're talking to," he growled.

* * *

 **Screw this, I'm going to bed. I'm three hours past my usual bedtime. Night, guys. Please review, because it inspires me to write more.**


	58. Tower of Heaven Arc: Game Over

***Natsu drags Monster Cat Music Girl kicking and screaming onto screen* Lemme go you armored freak!**

 **"You need to update instead of playing that stupid game on your box!"**

 **Never! Fus roh dah! AUUUURGH *Natsu goes flying* So, I've been playing Skyrim again. The Playstation was broken before, but now it's fixed, so I've been playing a lot. As for the cry of pain... first, a message from our sponsors (a.k.a. my brain) AUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGH!**

 **Incidentally** **, I had my wisdom teeth taken out yesterday. As a result, I am in agony right now. That's how much I love you guys. I can't eat anything but soup, and while soup is delicious, one gets tired of it after having it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There is the bonus of ice cream, though.**

 **On another pain filled note, I am planning a spinoff fic called 'Of Drabbles and Men'. Funny, right? Eh? Eh? Ok, fine. But it will basically be little one or two shots filled with Natsu being, well, Natsu, in various situations provided by readers. Warning: I am not responsible for deaths by Natsu if something weird happens to him. So if you have any ideas, just PM me with them.**

 **I actually haven't written anything for it yet, despite having the first chapter planned out in my head... I've been too busy working on THE NARUTO FANFIC THAT I KEEP ASKING YOU GUYS ABOUT BUT HAVE HEARD NOTHING FROM YOU SHEESH I JUST WANT TO KNOW IF YOU GUYS WOULD READ IT.**

 **But over all, it doesn't matter too much, because I'm mainly writing it for myself and my best friend. But whatever. AURGH MY FACE HURTS SO MUCH RIGHT NOW. *Natsu appears and is very pissed off***

 **You know, I might have not thought this all the way through. Wuld nah kest!** ***Vanishes with Natsu in hot pursuit***

* * *

Jellal placed his knight piece in front of the king. He sighed heavily. "Don't tell me the game's over already," he complained.

"You find that much pleasure in toying with the lives of others?" Erza asked quietly as she entered the room.

"Most certainly. Between the moment of our birth and the time of our death, there is only that game of emotions we call life. What could be more dreary than simply existing, day after day…?" He finally turned to face her, a smile on his face. "It's been a long time, Erza."

"It certainly has," Erza responded icily. "Shô and the others are no longer under your influence."

"That's fine with me. Now that the Tower of Heaven has been completed, I have no need for them." Erza lifted her sword and pointed it at him.

"You don't seem too concerned that it will soon be destroyed," she observed.

"You mean by the Etherion?" Jellal asked scornfully. He laughed cruely.

"You're so carefree, I can only assume that you were bluffing." Jellal threw his hood back. He had a wild look in his eyes.

"Not so!" he shouted gleefully. "The Etherion _will_ rain down on us!"

"I'm relieved to hear it. That means I just need to keep you busy for the next ten minutes, and then this nightmare will be over at last." Erza settled into a fighting stance. Red mist filled Jellal's hand.

"No! When the beam strikes, your life will be sacrificed to Zeref! This has always been certain! You cannot avoid fate, Erza… This is your destiny!"

* * *

Natsu's thought projection walked into the room. He carefully sniffed at the air. Blood and cherry blossoms. Interesting combination.

He slowly walked over to Ikaruga. She was laboriously breathing, the hilt of her sword in her hand. Natsu kicked it into the water before crouching down.

"Layed low for the first time, huh?" he asked.

"Leave me be, creature."

"That's not nice," he tsked. "Now then… I have some questions for you. What is Jellal really planning?" She gave a rasping laugh.

"Even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you." Natsu brandished the sharp claws of his gauntlets.

"Are you sure about that? We both know that I can put you through a world of agony before you die." He and Ikaruga stared into each other's eyes, both realizing that the other was serious. "Very well. Normally, I'd let you live, but…" Here his eyes turned murderous. "You hurt Erza. And that is unforgivable." Ikaruga flinched in the brief second before his hand crushed her throat. "May your soul burn in hell for harming her."

Natsu stood and flicked the blood from his hand. _I didn't get any information from her. Something tells me that Jellal hasn't revealed his hand quite yet._ _I know I'm missing something… The R-System… and Etherion -_ Natsu felt his eyes grow huge as it hit him. The part he had been missing was simple. The power source. And where was Jellal planning on getting that power?

Natsu ran over to the wall and hit it as hard as he could. It crumbled easily. However, instead of being made of pure stone, there was a clear crystal.

Lacrima.

 _The entire tower is made out of lacrima. And when Etherion hits, it won't destroy the tower. It will just fill the lacrima with power._ Natsu swore loudly. _Why on earth does he want to bring back Zeref? Does he think that Zeref will obey his orders or something? Idiot._ He dispelled himself, leaving the room silent except for the sound of blood dripping into the water.

* * *

"What do you mean, you aren't going to help her?!" Simon demanded, holding Natsu against the wall. "You claim she's your friend, but you refuse to aid her?!"

"Erza is stronger than you give her credit for," Natsu said calmly, the fingers of his gauntlets clicking as he pried open Simon's hand. "I have no right to butt in on her fight. This is personal for her."

"You don't understand!" the other man growled. "She can't defeat Jellal!"

"Don't insult her," Natsu said dismissively.

"You've got it wrong! I'm not talking about strength and magic here! Despite everything that's happened Erza is still trying to save Jellal. I have no doubt in my mind, in her heart, she could never truly hate the boy she remembers from childhood." Understanding of a sort entered Natsu's mind.

" _I don't care what people are saying about you!" Kokino shouted at him. "I don't care that they hate you, or think that you're evil! I love you, and I always will!"_

"Jellal is viciously cunning. He knows exactly how to manipulate her feelings to his advantage. And that's not the only thing working against her. As you know, the Magic Council is preparing to fire an Etherion blast. When that happens, the tower and anyone inside it will be wiped out. If what Shô told me is correct, we only have ten minutes. That's why she ordered everyone else to leave the tower, and then left to face him alone. If you know her as well as you say, then you know what she's up to." Natsu gritted his teeth.

"Well, then, that changes everything," he said as calmly as he could. "Let's go help Erza."

* * *

"There are only seven minutes left…" Jellal smirked. "When the Etherion strikes the tower, it will take our final breaths. Why don't we simply enjoy these last moments together?"

"You should know that I've cast off all my fears, even of my own death," Erza replied. "I'll relish it because I'll be taking you down with me."

"Oh really? Is that what you think? Let's see you try!" Jellal sent a blast of magic at her, only to have it cut away in a single stroke. Erza jumped at him, swinging her sword. He caught the hilt of it and swung with his free hand. A blast of magic knocked her out of the tower. She used some of the rubble to launch herself back in through the new hole.

"Would you so carelessly destroy the tower you worked so hard to complete?" Erza demanded. "What's the point?!" She easily cut through his throne, narrowly missing him.

"Why should I care about a pillar or two? After all, they're nothing but decorations."

"Maybe so, but the reason they're here is because the others spent all those years building them for you!"

"You find fault in everything I do," Jellal sighed. "I never forced them to work; they chose to. They knew how important the tower was to me. And now at long last… it's been completed!" Jellal's dark magic erupted from the floor and surrounded her in a ball. "While it's evident you've honed your skills over the years, you're no match for me."

" _You're freaking me out, 'cause this ain't like you, Erza,"_ Gray had said. " _We want to stay here and help you out. Master taught us that even the strongest warriors need a little back up every once in awhile."_

" _And no matter what happens,"_ Lucy had grinned, " _we're always going to have your back!"_

" _Aye! We're the strongest team!"_

" _I've always believed in you, Erza. For eight years straight. And there's nothing that could change that."_

" _You know, you ain't half bad sometimes. Just keep your chin up, and you'll do just fine."_

 _I'll miss them,_ she realized. With a few violent slashes, she cut through the magic prison.

"I told you before," Erza said. "I've cast off all my fears, including you!" She moved faster than his eyes could track, slashing with her sword and knocking him back. _This is not the weak girl I remember!_ She pinned him and held her sword above his throat. _Is this even the same Erza?_

"Why don't you tell me what your real goal is, Jellal?" she said. "You and I both know that the R-System hasn't been completed. Do you know what I've been doing since I left this place eight years ago? I did research on the R-System. And I know that even the tower itself is constructed exactly like the blueprints say, there's still one thing you don't have. A vital part to its completion."

"That's not true, because your sacrifice will complete it," Jellal said.

"No. Something even more basic than that. Magic energy! I don't think you realize how much magic energy you'd have to accumulate just to activate the R-System. You could gather every single wizard on the continent, and you _still_ wouldn't have enough power to pull it off. This tower doesn't have the capacity to store that much magic within its walls, and you certainly can't do it on your own! I find it highly suspicious that you haven't tried to escape, despite knowing that the Council's preparing to attack! What are you up to?!"

All he did was smile, and say, "Only three minutes until the Etherion fires."

"Answer me! You know your dream will never come true, so why are you willing to risk your life? Do you want to die?!" He grunted as she squeezed his arm tightly. "If that's the case, then we'll go together! I'll stay here to hold you down, and I won't let go till the bitter end!"

"To be honest, that doesn't sound so bad." Erza gave him an odd look. "I no longer have control over my own body and soul. Because I've been possessed by Zeref. I'm merely a puppet he's manipulating to give him flesh again."

"You were possessed by him?" she asked doubtfully.

"I wasn't able to save myself, and not even my closest friends were there to come to my rescue. That's when I realized that there is no heaven, nor does true freedom exist. All of creation was finished before it even began." The room began to shake as magic power built up above them. Etherion. "Deep down, I knew that it couldn't be completed, but Zeref kept pushing me. He forced me to continue the tower's construction. I wanted to stop, but I couldn't… It was like being a freight train with no breaks. I surrender. Go ahead. Finish me. Isn't that why you came looking for me?"

After several long moments, she lay down her sword.

"There's no need for my to spill your blood with my own hands," she said. "The Satellite Square is focused and the Etherion will fire any minute now. That means this is the end of you… and me…" Erza released him and stood.

"It is a grim fate that we share," Jellal agreed.

"So all this time, you were just another of Zeref's victims?"

"It's my own fault," he said sadly. "I let my weakness get the best of me. The rift between my dream and reality was too deep for my mind to comprehend."

"The only people capable of saving you, with your flaws and inner weakness… are those who you call friends," Erza replied gently.

"That's true…"

"I apologize for not being able to save you back then. Can you forgive me?"

"Erza… you have saved me…" He gently pulled her into a hug as light covered everything.

* * *

Natsu ran up the stairs as quickly as he could as light began to fill the tower. _Too late too late too late I'm always too late why why why why why why why why?!_ "Kokino! No, Erza!" _I can't tell anymore why am I always too late why can't I save Kokino why why why why why?!_ He skidded at a corner, feeling the cold fire of Etherion surrounding him. _I have to save Kokino from Jellal I have to get home to Erza have to save her have to save her can't save her not fast enough why why why why?!_

* * *

 **So this happened. I'm tired. My face hurts like hell. But I hope you liked the chapter. It's short, but it's something.**

 **I almost forgot. My birthday was a couple weeks ago, which means that this fic has been running for a very long time. Over a year old. Yay.**

 **I can't promise another chapter anytime soon, but I will tell you this: reviews inspire me greatly. It's right there. Just below this A/N. Just a sentence or two. It's not that hard, I promise.**


	59. Tower of Heaven Arc: Blood Ties

**Uh... Hi? *violently thrown* I'm sorry! I know I haven't updated in a while, and this is a short chapter - *violently thrown again* and it would have been longer, except that it was a perfect place to stop. And I miss your reviews. A lot. I recently got a new keyboard, so I apologize for errors. Enjoy!**

* * *

Erza let Jellal go as she looked around in shock. She fully expected to be dead, but they were both alive. The room had been destroyed, leaving nothing but a light blue crystal.

"We're… still alive?" she whispered in confusion. Jellal stood, and then began to laugh. "What have you done?"

"It's here!" he cackled. "At long last, my hour of glory has arrived!"

"Glory…?"

"This is the true form of the Tower of Heaven. An enormous lacrima! Thanks to the Council, it's ready to activate. The Etherion's magic energy provided the missing piece of the puzzle. The R-System is now complete!"

"So," Erza said, standing. "I was your pawn."

"Your expression is priceless, Erza," a voice chuckled behind her. She whirled around to see Siegrain. "He isn't capable of putting forth his full power right now, so he had to manipulate you in order to save himself."

"Siegrain," she snarled. He walked over to where Jellal was standing. "I don't understand, what are you doing here?" He paused.

"This reminds me of when we first met years ago," he sighed happily. "Do you remember?"

"You accompanied Makarov to the Magic Council to submit a written apology for destruction of property," Jellal added.

"She attacked me out of nowhere," Siegrain shook his head. "She must have mistaken me for you."

"I can't say I blame her. After all, we do look alike," Jellal agreed. Erza was thoroughly confused. Why wasn't Siegrain attack Jellal?

"You refused to let up until I confessed to you that I was his twin," Siegrain continued. "But you were still hostile towards me."

"What did you expect?" Erza growled. "If you truly cared about your brother, you would have tried to stop him instead of trying to cover his tracks! I know you've been spying on me and reporting back to him!"

"Is that so?" Jellal purred.

"A mistake on my part," Siegrain shrugged. "In retrospect, perhaps I should have said something that would have convinced you that I was going to find Jellal and kill him. But my biggest mistake was running into you in the first place. Especially after I had finally managed to join the Council."

"There's nothing worse than having to come up with an excuse on the spot," Jellal said.

"I get it," Erza said softly. "So the two of you have been conspiring this whole time."

"Conspiring?" Jellal scoffed.

"Nothing of the sort," Siegrain smiled.

"I'm afraid it's something more complicated than that." Siegrain's body fizzled as he showed that he was, in fact, a thought projection.

"We've been one person from the very start!" they both said gleefully. Siegrain - no, Jellal's thought projection stepped over and merged with Jellal.

"H-How is that possible?" Erza gasped. "Was he just a projection?"

"You never suspected for a moment that we were one and the same," Jellal smiled. Magic energy shimmered around him.

"Then you were the one responsible for firing the Etherion blast!" she accused. "Did you worm your way onto the Council just for that?"

"I hope you enjoyed the freedom I granted you all those years ago," he said, ignoring her words. "Your release and everything after was all part of my plan to resurrect Zeref."

"How can you live with yourself, knowing that your entire life had been one big lie?!" Erza snarled.

"Magic energy," he breathed. "I can feel it surging through my body!" He threw her across the ground. "Looks as though someone's a little worse for wear," he taunted. "What happened to all the spunk you had earlier? Did you use up all your magic fighting Ikaruga?" Erza slid to a stop, slammed her hand into the ground and pulled out a sword.

"Jellal! _You're through_!" She slashed at him, but he easily dodged, using his magic to shield him. She merely conjured another sword. He dodged the blows that he could, and shielded against the ones that he couldn't.

"The Magic Council's headquarters is little more than rubble by now," he informed her. "I can't tell you what a blessing Ultear has been. She did very well. I couldn't have done it without her. She said she had no fear of death if it meant all people could become one in heaven. She said she would gladly give her life for my ideal, for my dream. Honestly… I really must thank her for being such a fool."

"Curse you!" she screamed, destroying the lacrima he stood upon. "May everyone you've ever used curse you to death!" Suddenly, her body froze and she found herself unable to move.

"Relax," he chuckled. "It's just a Bind Snake. I slipped it onto you during our heartwarming embrace earlier." She screamed in pain. "Now that I've collected the precise amount of magic energy needed for the R-System, there's one more thing to be done before Zeref can be resurrected. This is where you take center stage for your moment in the spotlight, my dear. The magic energy within this lacrima must be fused with the body of my sacrifice - you. Once that happens, your flesh will break down and reconstruct itself to create Zeref's body." He raised a section of lacrima behind Erza, then shoved her in. "You know, I really did love you, Erza."

"No!" she shouted. "Stop!" Only her head, right arm, and calves remained free.

"O great and powerful Zeref!" Jellal shouted. "I call upon you! To offer you this woman's flesh!"

"Don't do this! Please, Jellal!" They heard an inhuman roar, and Natsu began to pull Erza out of the lacrima. His eyes were crazed and wild with rage and hatred. He landed easily, holding her close to his chest.

"Don't you dare," he snarled softly. "Don't you dare! Don't you ever dare touch my sister!"

* * *

 **Ehehehehehehe... Review please!**


	60. Tower of Heaven Arc: Demon Soul

**Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! First of all, let me apologize for being gone for so long, and then posting the same chapter twice. That was... stupid of me. In my defense, I was sick at the time and didn't realize that I was also suffering from anemia. And then I was sick again, and had finals, and the holidays, and then I got sick again... It was always just colds, so I'm fine!**

 **This is a fairly long chapter, with the reveal we've all been waiting for! Questions are answered and brought up anew, and people die, and Natsu gets pissed off. Enjoy!**

 **Two quick things though: Shout out to Flaming Kyuubi for having an awesome name, from a Naruto fan who has yet to publish any Naruto fics. I'll get to it eventually. I hope. Second, you all can thank the guest happypizzalover for sending me the reviews that I need to inspire me! I might not reply to you guys' reviews, but I promise I read and love every one of them!**

* * *

"Don't you dare," he snarled softly. "Don't you dare! Don't you ever _dare_ touch my sister!"

"Natsu…" Erza whispered. His eyes snapped to her, and she flinched. His harsh stare softened a little.

"Erza doesn't have any siblings," Jellal snorted. "Don't be ridiculous." Natsu slowly stood and shook his head.

"No," Natsu muttered. "Idiot… Keep the past and present separate."

"Natsu," Erza said. "You've got to get away from here immediately."

"I won't leave you," he replied, keeping his eyes on Jellal. "I couldn't save her… but maybe I can save you…"

"You can't," she said. "He's too powerful, even for you. He's one of the Ten Wizard Saints."

"I'm not a fool, Erza. I know who he is."

"Please… just this once, do what I ask you." Tears streamed out of her left eye. Natsu froze.

" _Please, Natsu," Kokino whispered. Her arm was broken and held painfully to her chest. "Please, retreat. I know you're powerful, but you can't beat him!"_

" _He hurt you," Natsu snarled. "He made you cry! I can't possibly allow him to live!"_

" _Natsu, please! Just this once, do what I ask you!" Kokino shouted. Natsu hesitated._

" _Kokino…" he whispered. "I love you more than you know. But this man will die."_

" _Later," she said, moving closer to him. "Become more powerful. But not today. Please."_

" _Not today," Natsu agreed, picking up Kokino in a bridal carry. "Not today."_

Natsu blinked several times. _They aren't the same,_ he told himself. _Stop thinking of them like that._ "Erza, my dear," he said softly, placing a hand on her forehead, "I'm sorry." He then put her to sleep. _This will only last ten minutes,_ he thought. _I'll have to finish this quickly._

"You're even foolhardier than the rumors say," Jellal said. "What kind of sick satisfaction do you get from defeating a defenceless friend?"

"I have no friends," Natsu replied, leveling his cold gaze on the other man. "But Erza is special to me. She reminds me of someone who I once loved very much, and to see her cry is… too much. Even so, I admire her for her strength. Her life reminds me of my own, in some ways. How could I not care for her? Erza's tears are, in my mind, Kokino's tears, and that is unforgivable! She is my Kokino, given back to me at long last! If you want her, you'll have to go through me!" Fire burned brightly around him.

"Is that a challenge?" Jellal smirked, summoning his own magic. "I've wanted to fight you, a Dragon Slayer, for a while now." _Kokino, my dearest, give me strength._ Natsu launched himself at Jellal and threw a punch. As he suspected it would, the blow bounced off. He threw a kick next that connected and sent him flying. _Yes!_ He threw blow after blow at the man, pouring out his rage and fury.

" **Fire Dragon Wing Attack!** " he shouted. " **Fire Dragon Talon! Fire Dragon Roar!** " Natsu panted a little as the flames cleared. Jellal threw off his burning cloak and grinned.

"Is that the best you can do?" he asked mockingly. "I expected more from you, Natsu Dragneel, son of Igneel. I was hoping to get a taste of the destructive might of a Dragon Slayer before I killed you, but if that's all you got, I won't waste my time."

"Bring it," Natsu snarled, running at him.

"You must be punished for interrupting my ceremony," Jellal continued. "Prepare to be destroyed by my Heavenly Body magic! **Meteor!** " Jellal vanished from sight. _Aw, crap._ If he thought Fukuro was bad, Jellal was even worse. _Crap. I've fought Fukuro before, so I know how he works, but Jellal is a complete mystery, and I'm getting my ass whooped because of that!_

"You're pretty fast," Natsu commented, wiping a trail of dark blood from the corner of his mouth. "My eyes can't keep up, and that's saying something." _I'll just have to use my other senses. Where is he going next? Right… there!_ Natsu swung, but Jellal dodged at the last second. _He's getting faster._

"Be glad you got your hits in," Jellal taunted. "You'll never get in another!" The blows rained down on his body faster than lightning. It hurt. A lot. The bones in his back broke in quite a few places. "And now, I'll show you the true destructive power of my magic! **May the Seven Stars bring judgement upon you!** " _Ok, Fukuro._ " **Seven Star Sword: Grand Chariot!** " _Oh, come on!_ "That spell has as much energy as a meteor strike. I'm impressed your body's still intact. I suppose I went overboard. I can't afford to damage the R-System any further. The magic energy beginning to leak..."

"I get that a lot, you know," Natsu grunted, struggling to his feet. He reach behind and healed the bones. "Thanks for the tip. Destroying things is one of my talents!" Natsu punched the ground hard, sending deep cracks across the surface.

"What are you doing?! Stop!" Jellal's face was tight with rage. "I've dreamed of this day for years, and I won't let a fool like you spoil it!"

"Go ahead!" Natsu grinned. "Do your worst!" Jellal sent two bright beams at him, which he rapidly dodged. He didn't want to get hit by them. Natsu went straight after Jellal, determined to make him pay. Magic hit him hard in the chest, knocking him back. The light was intense.

"Natsu!" he heard Erza scream. _Crap! Has it been ten minutes already?_ He dispersed the magic.

"Erza, run! I'll deal with Jellal, just get out of here!"

"I'm not leaving you!"

"I can't lose you again, Kokino!" He shook his head viciously. "No, that's not right…" He grinned at Jellal. "Too scared of harming your precious tower to go all out on me?" he taunted. "You're going to have to do better than that to hurt me!"

"I've had enough of you!" Jellal roared. He slammed his hands together and shot a beam of magic at Natsu, who merely retorted with a spell of his own.

" **Fire Dragon Brilliant Flame!** " Lacrima fell around them.

"I spent… I spent eight long years constructing this, and now you've gone and…!" Jellal, for the first time in his life, was at a loss for words.

Natsu thought it was very amusing.

"Tough luck," Natsu panted. _I'm running low on magic. At this rate, I'll have to use that._ "Like I said before, destroying stuff is one of my talents."

"I'll make you pay!" Jellal shrieked. He crossed his arms over his head and cast a magic circle. _Uh-oh._ A blast of air hit him hard, and a screeching noise filled the air. It grated on Natsu's sensitive hearing.

"What on earth?!" Natsu said. "Why the hell is my shadow bending towards the light?!"

"That spell," Erza realized. "It could kill Natsu!"

"Prepare to plummet into infinite darkness, Dragon Slayer!" Jellal shouted.

"Don't do it!" Erza shouted, throwing herself between the spell and Natsu. _Kokino! No! Not again! Please, not again!_

" **Heavenly Body Magic: Alteris!** " _NO!_

"Kokino! No!" he screamed.

Suddenly, Simon was there, protecting Erza, and there was a large explosion. When the smoke cleared, Simon was still standing, but barely. Natsu couldn't see the look on Erza's face when she saw him, but horror was radiating off her like stink from a rotting body.

"Simon…" she whispered. Erza ran toward him as he collapsed. "Simon!"

"I had no idea you were still crawling around the Tower, you despicable pest," Jellal scoffed.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Erza demanded, ignoring Jellal. Natsu sidled over to Erza, keeping narrowed eyes focused on him. "Why didn't you leave with the others?" Natsu glanced down at Simon and assessed the man's injuries. He sighed, his heart aching for Erza as he noted that he would be dead inside of a minute. "Talk to me!"

"Please…" Simon wheezed. "Don't cry… It's ok… I'm happy… to… give my life… for you…" He coughed up blood.

"Save your energy," Erza begged. She looked up at Natsu with tears in her eye. "Please, I'm begging you, help him." Natsu shook his head.

"There's no helping him now," he murmured. However, he placed his hand on his forehead. "I've taken away the pain. I'm sorry, Erza." Simon gave him the tiniest of nods, then refocused on Erza.

"You were… the only person who… made me smile."

"Please don't die," Erza whispered.

"I've always… loved you," he smiled softly. The life faded from his body as he fell out of her arms. Natsu watched her cry, and powerful emotions warred for control in his chest.

" _Noo_!" Erza screamed before dissolving into sobs. Jellal began to laugh.

"What a perfectly foolish thing to do!" he laughed. "He tried to play the valiant hero, but his death won't change a thing! Simon gave up his life to save yours, but he should have known that I'm not letting either of you leave this tower alive!" _That's it._ Natsu was in front of him and punched him in the face, sending him flying. Jellal yelped in pain.

"You know, I've had just about enough of you," Natsu said. " **Demon Soul Seal: Release**." There was a violent blast of magic from Natsu, dark and hateful. Then he went down on one knee, clutching at his gut with clawed gauntlets. "Damn…" he panted. "I haven't opened that in a long time."

"Natsu, what are you doing?!"

"It's blocked," Natsu muttered, ignoring her. A gleam entered his eyes as he noticed the Ethernano. _Perfect._ He crushed a small hunk of the glowing material in his hand and swallowed the smaller pieces.

"Fool," Jellal growled. "You really think you can get a powerup by consuming elements other than your own?"

"No," he panted. "I _know_ I can." Powerful flames erupted around him, sending heat waves that Erza could feel from fifteen meters away.

"Such power," Jellal breathed. "I never dreamed that you had power like this. Such a shame that I must snuff it out. **Heavenly Body Magic: Alteris!** " _Not again!_ Erza thought desperately. Natsu stood like a pillar as the attack blasted him. It didn't even faze him. His helmet launched from the flames and clattered at Erza's feet. She slowly picked up the cooling metal, staring in horror at the two large holes on the top. The fire around Natsu died down, revealing that his clothes had been incinerated from the waist up. However, seeing Natsu's body for the first time wasn't what filled her with fear.

Erza's eyes raked over the random black scales on Natsu's torso. Her eyes became huge as she saw the extra body parts that no human had. Large black wings folded at his back. A pair of long horns that everyone had always assumed were part of the helmet. Last of all, the chitinous gauntlets were no gauntlets, but exoskeletal natural armor that sank into his skin just below the elbow.

Natsu Dragneel was a demon.

* * *

 **Dun dun dun duuuuuh! Ultimate reveal! I look forward to your reviews! And of course, I love to hear what you think of the characters! I promise I'll try to post another chapter much sooner!**

 **Edit 2/6/2017: I meant to write exoskeleton rather than endoskeleton. It's fixed though!**


	61. Tower of Heaven Arc: To Die, To Sleep

**And I'm back! After leaving you guys hanging like that... Sorry-not-sorry. XD**

 **I guess this was kind of short? Oh well.**

 **Now, something to address. Some of you may have noticed that I took down the A/N on chapter thirty nine. I promised I would explain my reasons in this chapter. And here they are.**

 **Screw the sappiness. I can hate any damn character that I want, thank you very much! Lucy just gets under my skin and I freaking hate her. Ok? I won't change her character horribly because I am true to their personalities, whoever they may be. Hell, I'll even write NaLu if it fits the story. I'm not going to say if it'll happen in this story, because spoilers.** **I dislike Lucy as a character, and nothing is going to change that. Move on, and if my personal dislike bugs you, then just stop reading the fricken story.**

 **Ok. I had to get that off my chest. Onto the story.**

* * *

"Natsu…" Erza whispered. He glanced back at her, and she flinched upon seeing the black marks crawling across his skin. She saw a flash of something - Sadness? Regret? - in his eyes before he turned back to face Jellal.

"Fascinating," Jellal said with eager eyes. "Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that you were a creature of Zeref."

"I take offence to that," Natsu drawled. "Zeref didn't 'create' me. He… made me better and worse than I was before." He shrugged. "Depends on your point of view, I suppose."

"He is your lord and master!" Jellal shouted. "Why do you resist his resurrection for the sake of this woman?" A low growl came from Natsu's throat.

"'Master'?" he scoffed. "Zeref is no more my master than you are. Erza is my second chance. She is the second chance for the sole light in my life, and I'll be damned before I let you harm a hair on her head!" Natsu practically spat the name of the dark wizard out. "He is ultimately responsible for the deaths of every person I dared to love! He is responsible for my own tortured existence, and for the deaths of so many innocent people! That is why I resist sacrificing my Kokino!" Jellal watched him carefully.

"I underestimated you. I thought you were nothing more than a youth who was fortunate enough to meet a dragon. No, you are far more than that; you are an ancient being. The things you have seen…" His eyes were wild. "Your mind must be the ultimate well of knowledge! What a shame I must destroy it alongside you!"

"Bring it, asshole!" Natsu snarled. Dark red flames streaked with black erupted around him, creating a crater at his feet. _His magic is so dark!_ Erza thought desperately. _I feel sick just being near him! What kind of person is he? No…_ _ **what**_ _is he?_

Jellal and Natsu fought each other faster than her eyes could track. It was amazing how Natsu used his unnatural appendages to his advantage, slashing with sharp claws and flying out of the way of spells. Eventually, Natsu grabbed him by the collar and threw him into a wall.

"Impossible," Jellal gasped, pulling himself to his feet. "I cannot be defeated! I must bring freedom! Zeref choose me to build his kingdom of freedom! I can't let you hold me back! **Abyss Break!** "

Natsu scratched the base of one of his horns. "Well, that looks painful," he observed casually as the spell charged up. "It might even kill me. And if it kills me…" Natsu paled and then shuddered. "Man, I won't be able to look anyone in the eye for a while. Heh. Stupid pun there."

"What are you doing?!" Erza screamed. "Get out of the way!"

"Chill, Kokino, I'll be fine," he called over his shoulder. "We both know I dealt with worse. Granted, I nearly lost a horn that time… and an arm… and I did end up losing that toe..." _He's just standing there, talking to her!_ Jellal thought eagerly. _What a fool he is!_ Suddenly Natsu was behind him and grinning like a psychopath.

" **I'm going to enjoy killing you,** " he breathed into Jellal's ear. " **You have hurt my Kokino more times than I know, and that is unforgivable.** " He picked the blue haired man up by the front of his shirt and slammed him into the ground. " **Something else. You will never achieve freedom by taking the freedom of others. There is no freedom for someone taking orders from a ghost. Free yourself first.** " Natsu raised his hand up with claws positioned to slice his throat. " **Unfortunately, you won't get the chance to do that.** "

"Natsu, no!" Erza shouted. His head snapped up to stare at her. She flinched at his piercing gaze, but kept going. "Don't kill him. He's not in his right mind. Please." Natsu's face was expressionless. They all remained there for a few seconds, and then he punched Jellal in the face.

The black marks covering Natsu's skin slowly retreated into his wings as he used his magic to pull back and lock away his dark magic.

"Well, that was fun," he said, then fell to his hands and knees.

"Natsu!" Erza cried out, running over to him. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah," he grunted. "I'm fine, just kind of tired." Natsu sat cross legged and studied her. "Did he hurt you?"

"No," she said softly. Now that he wasn't moving all over the place fighting, she could get a good look at him. The bone structure of his back wasn't like a normal human's. Of course, it would have to be different to support and use the massive wings tucked away. Her breath caught in her throat as she she saw more and more evidence that her long time guildmate was not human. "Natsu, you have -"

"Look, I understand that you have questions," he interrupted. "The Tower is destabilizing, and soon there will be a pretty nasty explosion. I'd like to get out of here before that happens. I promise, if we get out of here alive, I will answer them. But right now we need to move." Natsu scooped her up and held her against his chest. "Now let's get out of here."

"Natsu, your hair…" Erza said. "It's… pink." He stared at her for several seconds with a disbelieving look on his face.

"You've got to be kidding me. I have horns, dark magic, exoskeletal hands, and freaking wings, and the first thing you notice is my frickin _hair_?" He blew up at his hair in exasperation. "And it's not pink, it's light red." A laugh bubbled up in her chest as he began to run down the tower.

Erza noticed two things as they made their way down. One: Natsu was much too comfortable in his body for this to be a recent thing, or even something that happened in the past few years. And Jellal called him a demon of Zeref, but the dark wizard hadn't been around for nearly four centuries. Meaning that Natsu was a new creation from a resurrected Zeref, or he was ancient.

Two: The Tower was destabilizing much faster than they were getting down. Natsu explained that his wings weren't much good for anything other than gliding right now - getting them broken twice in twenty-four hours will do that to them - so they had to get down the old fashioned way.

A section of the Tower blew up right in their path, knocking them to the side. Natsu's head cracked against the lacrima. _There's no way he'll get out of the Tower in time,_ Erza thought as she watched him push himself up. _The explosion will also get the others in the boat. But…_ She turned and studied the smooth bubble of lacrima just a few feet away. _I can stabilize it. I can direct the energy into the sky and protect my friends._ She pressed her hand against the lacrima. After a little pressure, it gave way. The pain was almost unbearable.

Almost.

"Kokino?" she heard Natsu ask hesitantly behind her as she shoved her arm in up to the shoulder. "What… what are you doing?"

"I'm saving you, and the others." Erza smiled at him. "It's ok, Natsu. This is my choice."

"No…" he whispered. The horror in his eyes almost made her change her mind. "Not again. Oh, gods above, please not again."

"It's ok," she insisted. "This is the only way to save you all. I have no regrets as long as my friends live." The lacrima swallowed her completely. _Please take care of them,_ she thought as she watched Natsu slam his hand against the lacrima, terror written on his features. _I will always be there for you. All of you._

She closed her eyes and listened to him scream.

* * *

 **I don't really think I got the emotions that I wanted to, seeing how I was writing off the wiki as I couldn't get the anime due to reasons. :/ Oh well. I hope you all enjoyed it.**


	62. Tower of Heaven Arc: No More

**That didn't take too long, did it? Now, I would like to dedicate this chapter to Im Just Adam, who sent me a wonderful review that rendered me speechless at first, and has totally made my week. Thank you so much, all of you!**

* * *

Erza could hear the ocean. Her exhausted body refused to move, so she just listened to sound of waves lapping at something, and the sloshing sound of a person moving through water. Her body swayed back and forth as she was carried. Something sharp dug into her back and thighs, but she couldn't bring herself to care. She was just so tired…

When she woke again, the sun was rising. While Erza could still hear the ocean, she was lying on stable ground. _Where am I?_ She sat up, pressing a hand to her pounding hand. _Why am I not dead?_

"You're awake," Natsu said behind her. Erza spun around to see him sitting by the edge of the cliff, watching the sun begin its journey across the sky. _So it wasn't a dream,_ she realized as she took in his demonic appearance. He turned slightly to look at her, and gave her a thin smile. It looked very strange on him, and yet it fit him. "Sit with me."

"I thought I had been dreaming," Erza confessed as she took her place beside him. "It all seemed so strange, it couldn't possibly be real." Natsu snorted, but didn't say anything. "How did I survive?" she asked after a few moments.

"I pulled you out like before," he replied, giving her an incredulous look. "Granted, I had to use my magic, and it almost didn't work, but you're around for as long as me, 'almost' doesn't matter." Erza mulled that over for another few moments.

"Natsu, you said at the tower that you'd answer my questions," Erza started, feeling hesitant. How much did she really want to know about him? Natsu sighed heavily.

"I suppose I did," he said as he threw a small rock into the ocean below. "You get five, and that's because I'm feeling generous." Erza bit back a sharp retort and glared at him.

"Who's Kokino?" she finally asked. A pained look crossed Natsu's face, as well as a certain softness.

"An angel on earth," Natsu said softly. He closed his eyes and exhaled sharply, the ghost of a smile on his mouth. "She was beautiful." He turned to Erza and pushed her hair from her face, holding a few strands in his hand. "You remind me of her. She had red hair too. The most beautiful eyes that could melt a heart of stone. And she was one of the most terrifying people I know when she had a sword in her hand."

"Was she your… wife?" Erza asked slowly, feeling confused. Natsu looked horrified.

"Oh, hell no!" Natsu shuddered. "Nah, she was my little sister." _Oh._

"What happened to her?" she asked. "Was she... like you?" Natsu's features darkened.

"You mean a demon?" Natsu said with a raised eyebrow. "No, she was human. I was human too, until… Well, that doesn't really matter. I raised her for a while, and we made a guild. The nearby village prospered because of us, and we were powerful. But some of them… they didn't like us very much because of my looks and our powers. Instead of asking us to leave like a normal person - which wouldn't've been a problem because our guild hall could move - they waited until I was gone and she was alone outside, and then…" Natsu took a deep breath. She could see how tense he was, and his wings trembled with emotion.

"They violated her and killed her. They _murdered_ her, because of me." His claws gripped his arms tightly, then he continued in a low voice. "I found her a few hours later. They crucified her on a tree. It was by far one of the worse things I have ever seen.

"It wasn't hard to find them afterward. They were boasting about it at the local bar." A crazed smile curved his mouth. "So I took them and tortured them all to death, and then hung their corpses as a reminder of what would happen if you angered me." Natsu laughed softly. "We had to relocate afterwards, but it was worth it. It would be worth it a thousand times over." The crazed look left his face, and a fond one replaced it. "I'm sorry I kept getting you two mixed up. Infinite life, finite memory means that I have to delete certain things, and they blend together when I'm stressed." A shocked look covered her face.

"That's why your memory is so terrible!" Erza shouted. "You delete everything else!" Natsu just snickered.

"You're my second chance to protect her," Natsu said after he stopped chuckling. "I failed to protect my sister the first time, and then I found you… Erza, my second chance." Erza flushed a little at his words. _A guardian angel? No, a guardian demon?!_ Then Natsu flushed as he realized how his words could come across.

"Tch. I don't mean it like that. I'll leave you alone, if that's what you want. Might even have to leave the guild, now that I think about it," he muttered in a low voice before turning away from her and closed his eyes.

Natsu suddenly felt a heavy weight between his wings and arms around his neck. Red hair drifted into his peripheral vision. His eyes widened in surprise.

"You are a member of Fairy Tail," Erza whispered into his slightly pointed ear. "Fairy Tail protects their own, and gives second chances to those who need them. Your mask kept us from us from seeing you, true, but it allowed us to see your heart. The heart of someone who has seen more than their share of pain, and yet still tries to move past it. Natsu, you might have the body of a demon, but your heart is still human, I know it. Lisanna saw it. She gave you her friendship freely even though you pushed us all away.

"You are Fairy Tail, Natsu! No matter what you look like, or what your past is, you are one of us! You're my friend." Natsu felt a throbbing pain in his chest. _I don't remember love hurting this much,_ Natsu mulled. _Only the void that is left when they are gone is supposed to hurt._ He brushed at his face and was surprised to see a droplet of moisture on his hand. _She has become a precious person. Not because of Kokino. Because she is Erza._

 _What is wrong with me?_

* * *

Erza snuck another look at Natsu's back. It was fascinating to watch his muscles work around the wings, and even work along with them. "It would be a lot faster if you just let me carry you," Natsu finally said.

"No."

"Erza -"

"I said no." Natsu sighed heavily and then stuck a wing out in front of her. "What?"

"If you think I didn't catch you staring, you're out of your mind. Just touch it already." Erza slowly reached for the wing, watching him carefully. He seemed more amused than anything. The membrane was softer than she expected. Warmth pulsed underneath her fingers. The fingers of the wing were covered in tiny smooth scales that also radiated heat. Erza traced the pattern up to where it joined his body just under the shoulder blades. While there was no signs of grafting, there was a faint oval scar around the area of each wing, reaching from below his shoulder blades to just above his hips.

"Interesting," Erza said, meeting his eyes firmly. Natsu just smirked. "Now, last I checked, I still have four more questions, so I -"

"One."

"What?"

"You have one question left."

"Nonsense, I have four." Natsu held up a clawed hand.

"You asked me who Kokino was." He flicked a finger down. "Then you asked me if she was my wife, which is a very horrifying mental image. And then you asked what happened to her and if she was a demon. One question left, dearie. Use it wisely." He only had one finger up, and walked away with a large smirk on his face. Erza gaped at him for a moment, then chased after him.

"Fine then," she growled. "Then answer me this. Why did you not look like a demon while we were kids? Why were you even a kid?!"

"That's two questions, Erza. Choose one."

"The first one."

"Because that's how my immortality works," Natsu explained as he helped her over a large piece of driftwood. "I can be killed, but I can't die. Whenever something manages to kill me, I just reset into a fairly normal looking child. Which can be a big pain, as nobody takes a demon seriously if you look like you're five. I'm on my…" Natsu frowned. "I don't remember. Let me think… I'm turning four-hundred nineteen next winter, so that means I'm on my… eleventh life."

"Only eleven?" she said before she could stop herself. Natsu raised an eyebrow at her.

"What, do you think I'm accident prone or something? If you divide four hundred by eleven, you'll get an average age of thirty-six, so I'm only about half-way through this life. Therefore, I - Why on earth are you laughing?"

"You're the most ridiculous demon I have ever seen," Erza laughed. "It must be the pink hair."

" _It'snotpinkit'slightred!_ "

* * *

"Well, there's the resort," Natsu sighed. "Go on."

"Are you not coming back?" Erza asked.

"Nah, I've had enough fun for a year or two. Besides, there's a few Zeref related things that I need to look into." He snapped his fingers. "I just remembered. Don't be too upset at Jellal for what he did. He truly was being controlled. The seal on his eye? It's a Total Control Seal. If I had the time to remove it, he would have woken up with absolutely no knowledge of the last several years. He would have been the exact same person you grew up with." A warm feeling filled her chest. "There is a mild problem, though. Zeref wasn't the one controlling him. I know what Zeref's magic feels like, and that wasn't it. To be honest, it felt much more like that Zalty dude I fought on Galuna Island, which is one of the things I need to look into." He turned and began to walk away, muttering to himself.

"Natsu," she called. He glanced back at her.

"Yes?"

"Thank you," Erza said softly. "For everything." His eyes softened.

"See you at the guild, Erza."

* * *

 **Tada! Hope you all enjoyed! Reviews make my day! XD**


	63. Interlude: To End The Heartache

**A wild chapter appears! You use: Read! It's super effective!**

* * *

Once Erza returned to the resort, she was tackle-hugged by her friends, new and old. Tears were shed and questions were asked. Many of them, she couldn't answer to protect Natsu's privacy. _Why do I protect him?_ she wondered once she was finally allowed to lie down. _He very likely has the blood of thousands, if not millions, on his hands. He is a demon from the Book of Zeref._ Natsu's soft expression from when he had been talking about his sister entered her mind. " _I was human too"_ , he had said. _Was it his choice? Did Zeref force him to become a monster?_ Erza clenched her jaw. The look of love in his eyes when he spoke of Kokino, the raw anguish she had seen written across his face… She knew deep in her heart that Natsu, his appearance aside, was just as human as she was.

Natsu had loved, and he had lost, and lost, and lost until he was scared to love again. That was why he had always been so distant from the guild, especially once she considered that he was immortal. They would all age and die, while death could not take him.

Erza's heart throbbed painfully as she reflected on her newfound knowledge. _I will help him, in any way that I can. I will show him that not all humans are horrible beings that hate him because of his appearance. I will show him that it is better to love and to lose than to live out eternity by himself._

* * *

Natsu lifted the dying man up by his collar. "Now, now," he sighed. "You are dying, and your friends wait for you on the other side of the void. However, I can delay your reunion for quite a while, and I can assure you, it will be very painful. I promise you a quick death if you tell me what I want to know."

"N-Never, you monster," the man gasped. Natsu shrugged.

"As you wish." The man's screams echoed through the night.

* * *

"What do you mean, Natsu still isn't here?!" Lucy gasped. They had returned to the newly rebuilt guild hall, only to find that despite the fact that Natsu left the resort nearly a week before them, he had yet to return.

Mira shrugged and continued to wash the dishes. "He probably got lost," she giggled. "He does that sometimes." Lucy sighed.

"I guess," she grumbled. She had wanted so badly to talk to him about what had happened at the Tower. She was still proud of the Unison Raid she had achieved with Juvia, and he was sure to know about secrets that her keys might hold, or even where other keys were!

Lucy eyed Gajeel uncertainly. Juvia joining the guild hadn't been a surprise. Gajeel, on the other hand, shocked them all. Levy was still scared of him, though she pretended otherwise. _I wish Natsu was here. He's beaten Gajeel before._ All the same, she felt safer with the master around.

"You know, you're going to get fat if you eat that," Natsu observed as she took a bite of ice cream. She screamed and kicked at him. He merely caught the leg and glared at her past his new visor. "One, Lucy, you really ought to control your violent tendencies. Two, kicking in any skirt, let alone a miniskirt, is a very bad idea, more so when you're wearing underwear like that." Lucy eeped and blushed a deep shade of crimson. "Now, if you'll excuse me." She could almost hear the smirk in his voice as he released her leg and sauntered off.

"I. Hate. Him," she snarled softly. Mira laughed.

The tension in the air rose as Natsu approached Gajeel. The latter glared up from his meal of metal. Fairy Tail waited with baited breath as the two Dragon Slayers had a staredown. They had already proved that they could wreak a guild hall fighting, and nobody wanted to get caught up in their impending fight. No words were exchanged between the two, and all conversation died around them.

Finally, Gajeel glanced away. The tension in the air broke, and conversations picked up again. Natsu merely nodded and made his way up to the rafters.

"Master," Erza said hesitantly. "I don't mean to question your judgement, but are you sure that it is all right for Gajeel to be here?"

"Eh, he'll be fine," Makarov said, waving his mug. "I think he's a good guy deep down, and he just needs a little help to see that. But I agree that he should be kept under a close eye, just in case."

Natsu groaned audibly when the lights dimmed and Mira began to sing. "Screw this, I'm out of here," he said clearly enough for several members to hear him before he left out of a window.

 _I knew it_ , he thought as he walked home. _Tartaros is on the move. Zeref is stirring, from wherever the hell he's been hiding these past few centuries._ A harsh grin covered his face. _It won't be long now, will it, Kokino?_

* * *

Lucy sighed heavily. Her rent was due, and all of her teammates were busy. Gray had to accompany Juvia, Erza was getting her armor repaired, Happy was useless, and Natsu flat out refused. _Ooh! There's one!_ She began to reach for it, but a shadow loomed over her and snatched it from the board.

"Gihihi," Gajeel smirked. "Too slow, Bunny Girl. Better luck next time." Lucy glared at his retreating back.

"Jerk," she muttered as she turned back to the board.

"Luuuushy!" Happy shouted, attaching himself to the back of her head. "Do you have any fish for me?"

"Do I look like the type of person that carries fish around?" she growled. Happy cocked his head to the side and studied her.

"Yes."

"Dream on, cat. What do you want, anyway?" Lucy asked as she pulled the cat off her head.

"Mira wanted me to show you this if you haven't seen it already," the cat exclaimed while pulling a fish from his bag.

"... The fish?"

"No, dummy! This!" Happy stuck the fish in his mouth and handed her a smelly paper. "It's an annual event that takes place during the Harvest Festival!"

"'Miss Fairy Tail'?" she wondered. "A beauty contest? And the prize is -" Lucy's jaw dropped. " _500,000 Jewel?!_ This is perfect! All I have to do is win, and that will take care of my rent! Of course, it won't be a problem because I'm so cute~" she grinned.

"Don't forget that Mira will be joining, and Erza probably will too," Happy said through a mouthful of fish. A heavy gloom overtook her as she realized how low her chances of winning were with those two in the contest.

"I should still try!" she announced, pumping a fist. "I'm fresh blood, so that ought to raise my chances significantly."

"Either pick a job or move out of the way, 'Nab'," Natsu said irritably from behind her. She yelped and spun around, her back pressed against the board. He had returned to his usual outfit after their vacation, and was just as cold as before.

"Sorry!" she squeaked, shifting to the side. Gathering up her courage, she spoke up as he tore a paper from the board. "Why are you getting a job from here?" Natsu's head turned towards her, and she could almost feel his dispassionate gaze. "I m-mean, you normally take an S-class job, right?"

"I guess you're not as unobservant as you've led me to believe," he smirked. Lucy could _hear_ it in his voice. "The master wants me in town during the Harvest Festival. Damage control, and the like. Just in case. Now, if you'll excuse me." Natsu pushed past her and moved to the bar where Makarov sat.

 _What's his problem?_ Lucy wondered. _He was fairly polite and nice at the resort. Did something happen on the Tower that made him like this?_ She shook herself, shrugging the matter away. _Oh well. He's usually like this, after all. I'm sure whatever's bugging him will be taken care of sooner or later._

* * *

 **Ugh, sorry about the long wait, guys. I have not been up to writing lately. But I did it because I had some free time *cough over an hour cough* before a class, so I figured, why not be productive?**

 **Meow Orbit, thanks for the review! I changed my profile, so you can read it there, but I'll go ahead and address it here too. I don't have a set updating schedule, though I'd like to do it every Thursday if my real life permits. Because real life sucks. Don't read it. I just post chapters when I have one that I decided to finish, like today!**

 **Remember kids, reviews make Author-san happy and inspires her to write!**


	64. Battle of Fairy Tail Arc: Killing Intent

**GUYS GUYS READ THIS BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE PLEASE**. **Ok, now that I have your attention, I have an important announcement! I'm going to take a break from ODaM *gets things thrown* nonono stop please let me finish. The next chapter is going to be a Q &A, where you can ask any character any question you want! And yes, I count as a character ;) just call me Author-san, but try to ask the other characters questions too! I don't want to be spammed. Now, I can't guarantee that your question will be answered, but I'll do my best! Either review or PM me, I don't care. I will address every question you send, so have fun!**

* * *

This _is a drag,_ Natsu thought, annoyed as he watched people bustle below him. The guild members were running around setting up for the Harvest Festival, and he was bored out of his mind keeping an eye on things. Sure, he had said he would stick around in case Ivan pulled something, but would he really, with all the powerful mages here? There were so many other things, more important things, that he could be taking care of.

Natsu sighed, remembering how short he had been with Lucy earlier. That was no way to get around earning her trust. _But damn it, she had sat there for nearly ten minutes! I needed a job!_

He had done some research on little Lucy, and discovered that she was, in fact, Layla's daughter. Disturbing information to say the least. _Is there any chance that she's the one I'm looking for?_ He frowned as he considered the possibility. It would explain the draw to her, at least.

"Natsu!" Makarov shouted. "Meet me in my office, now!" _Oh, great. It wasn't even my fault!_ He jumped down from the rafters, landing in front of a startled Macao and Wakaba before moving past Levy. Pausing in front of her for a moment, he studied her expression. Worry and a tinge of fear, though he couldn't be sure that wasn't his presence. _Huh._

"Natsu!" Makarov shouted.

"Yeah, yeah, I hear you," he grumbled, ducking under the doorframe. "What do you want?"

"Please shut the door." _Great._ Leaning against the now closed door, he spread his arms in an 'I'm waiting' gesture. "Are you aware that Laxus is in town?"

"Lightning Crapper?" Natsu frowned again and dredged through his memory. "I couldn't sense him here, no, but I sensed what's-his-face, the rune dude, moving around town. It stands to reason that Laxus and his other two lackeys are here as well. Why?" Makarov sighed, looking his age for once.

"He attacked Gajeel and Levy less than an hour ago," the guild master said. "Gajeel for his past actions against the guild -"

"But he's a member now," Natsu protested. Weren't these humans all about friendship and guild bonds and crap? "Why would he attack someone that you, his grandfather, thought was trustworthy enough to join?"

"Laxus is a changed person," Makarov sighed, clearly troubled. "He's not the boy he once was."

"No shit, Gramps." Natsu rubbed his chin, thoughtful. "If Gajeel's 'actions against the guild', as you say, bugged him so much, then why wait until he's actually one of us to attack? Logically, he should have gone after the guy when he was drifting around after Phantom was disbanded."

"I'm not sure. He hasn't been around since the Galuna incident," Makarov said with a pointed stare at the other wizard. Natsu merely shrugged.

"Levy's the midget, right? With the blue hair and the annoying guys?" Makarov nodded. "Why on earth would he attack her? Did she attack first? No, that's not like her."

"She was telling him to leave Gajeel alone, and Gajeel defended her from the attack." Natsu's eyebrows shot up, though the old man couldn't see them.

"Interesting. But what's your point in telling me this? Information is valuable, you know."

"I want you to keep an eye on Laxus until the festival is over," Makarov ordered. "I suspect that he's up to something, and I don't trust it." Natsu nodded curtly.

"I was planning on it. Someone needs to beat the crap out of him anyway. I just hope he gives me an excuse to do so."

"I think we're trying to avoid that," Makarov said dryly.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'll be in the rafters if you want me."

* * *

"Welcome, everybody, to the Miss Fairy Tail Contest!" Max Alors shouted into the microphone as the crowd cheered. "We have many lovely ladies for you all to see today, who will be showing off for your entertainment! Now, ready or not, here we go!

"She can beat you in any drinking contest! She can read your fortune! She's the lovely Cana Alberona!" Cana smirked as she sauntered on stage in a bikini and blew a kiss to the crowd. Reaching into her bag, she revealed her hand of cards before activating her magic and spelling 'Fairy Tail' in the air. Natsu snorted from his position in the rafters with a few plates of food that he had 'borrowed' before people started coming in. _It's not smart to show your hand, as it is, to anyone who wants to come in. If an enemy mage was here, he'd know the abilities of a good few of our girls._

"She's a Water Woman, here to flood our hearts with love! We all want to drown in her embrace! She's Juvia!" The rest of the announcements were very similar, to the point where Natsu stopped paying attention. He was confused, to say the least, when Mira completely threw the competition and changed her head into Happy's, then Gajeel's. _What is wrong with the Strauss siblings?_ he wondered.

The burst of killing intent when men were whooping at Erza's gothic lolita outfit was entirely accidental. No way in hell was Natsu going to let them leer at his second chance. Privately, he resolved to speak to her about her revealing armors. It simply wasn't appropriate for a girl of nineteen.

The midget Laxus attacked yesterday was next, and unlike the other girls, she remained in a somewhat modest dress. He nodded firmly. The skirt should be longer, at least to the knee, but it was good enough.

Natsu was fairly impressed with Bisca's sharpshooting as she put holes in four coins. If she focused harder on training, she would be a fairly good sniper.

He groaned and facepalmed as Lucy announced that she was going to do a cheer routine - of all things, she choose one of the things that he hated the most - before he felt the flash of magic behind the curtain. Peeking over his hand, he focused on the residue that all magic left. _Evergreen._ Had she petrified the girls in the back? A growl slipping from his throat. If she so much as _touched_ Erza, he was going to kill her.

"You've forgotten me," she pouted as she strutted on stage. "This contest is over. I am automatically the winner." She smirked over her fan.

"What the hell?!" Lucy screeched. "You can't do th-"

"Don't look in her eyes," Natsu muttered, but it was too late. Evergreen had raised her glasses and turned the girl to stone. "Damn it, Evergreen. This is why we can't have nice things." The curtain fell to reveal all the other girls to be statues as well. _Well, that settles that. I'm gonna kill her._ Laxus and the rest of the Thunder God Tribe appeared in a flash of lightning.

"Now, now, Natsu," Laxus tisked, his eyes roaming the shadows in a vain attempt to spot him. "Don't be radiating intent like that, someone might think this a battle."

"What are you doing, Laxus?!" Makarov demanded.

"Chill, Gramps," the blond smirked. "It's nothing but a game, you see. A game to find out, once and for all, who is the strongest in Fairy Tail!" _I knew it. He's a psychopath_ , Natsu thought as Laxus wrapped an arm around Lucy's shoulders. "The girls are merely a precaution against you all breaking the rules, see?"

"What are the rules?" a guildmate that Natsu didn't recognize shouted.

"They're simple." A cruel smile covered his face. "You have to find and defeat the Thunder God Tribe and me in three hours, or the girls go bye-bye." A fresh blast of killing intent radiated from Natsu. "Don't act like you care, Natsu," Laxus scoffed. "We all know that I just beat you to the punch."

The air reeked of determination. Everyone began running out, no one thinking in their desperation that they had a snowball's chance in Hell of defeating even the weakest of the four. Makarov tried to leave as well, but a wall of runes appeared, keeping him in the guild hall.

"What wrong, Master?" Gray asked. "Come on!"

"I can't," Makarov grunted. "There's an invisible wall of some sort."

"Are you serious? I don't see any invisible wall." Script appeared on the wall, stating that no one over eighty and stone statues could leave the guild hall. _Well, that means I'm stuck here,_ Natsu thought as he finished another plate.

"Nevermind, Gray, just go and be careful," Makarov sighed. "Reedus! I know you're still here. go to Porlyusica in the East Forest. She may have a cure for the girls."

"O-Oui," Reedus said nervously as he rushed out the door.

"Natsu, please come down," he sighed, the hall quiet. He jumped down with a soft rustle of cloth and sharp clank of armor. "With Erza in her current state, Mira unable to use her powers at all, and Mystogan who knows where, you are the only person capable of taking down Laxus and the Thunder God Tribe. Please go, and save your guildmates." Natsu nodded sharply, and strode to the door way. It was really hard to pretend that nothing was going to happen to him.

Sure enough, he hit the wall face first. The script appeared again, reminding him that people over eighty and stone statues couldn't leave.

"Something you want to tell me, Natsu?" Makarov asked as he poured himself a drink. "Erza was very vague on the details of what happened at the Tower."

"Nope," Natsu sighed as he took a seat near pushed his mask aside and took a swig of a mixed drink.

"Keep it down," Gajeel grumbled from behind the bar. Natsu screeched and fell off his seat. "... I'm going to pretend I didn't hear you do that."

"How the hell did you do that?!" Natsu demanded as he clambered back onto his stool and Gajeel stood up. He had been eating the silverware throughout the day, it seemed. "Your scent and presence were both gone!" Gajeel shrugged.

"Dunno."

"That's not good enough!" Natsu sighed and rubbed his jaw. "Nevermind. I can't get through the barrier. Freed must have stuck another enchantment underneath the one we see. But maybe you can get through and defeat Evergreen."

"Why would I do that?" Gajeel asked irritably.

"Because the Stone Eyes enchantment will be undone if she's defeated," Natsu explained. "I doubt you would like Juvia to become nothing more than a pile of dust." The Dragon Slayer glanced over at his guildmate, whose face was frozen in a look of surprise.

"Ok, then, I guess I better get going," Gajeel said, then promptly ran into the barrier. Natsu groaned and rested his head on the bar.

"Why can't anything in my life go right for once?" he moaned. Lettering suddenly appeared on the barrier. _Alzack vs. Jet and Droy._

"They're actually playing along," Natsu whispered in shock. He would expect it elsewhere, in other guilds, but not this one. Never this one. _Why do humans always turn against each other when given the chance?_ His throat tightened and his expression hardened. _They always do this… They're just like you, Mujona._

* * *

 **Another new character! Review please!**


	65. Q&A Break!

*talk show setting because why not*

 **Author** : Hi guys! I don't know about you, but I'm super excited for this! Today, we have ODaM Natsu Dragneel because you guys… only asked about him. *looks at papers* Ok then. The first question was sent in by a guest! They ask, " _Natsu, what happened in your past?_ "

 **Natsu** : *stares into your soul, then flips up the finger*

 **Author** : Natsu! Don't be rude!

 **Natsu** : *flips other middle finger at Author**walks off stage*

 **Author** : *0-0* Ok then, be that way. The next question is from **jomama25**. They ask " _i wanna ask natsu what his favorite color is cuz why not. i also wanna know how strong he is currently in comparisson to cannon? like, where would he stand in terms of power during the alvrez arc?_ " *looks up from papers* Great questions! Erza! Please go get Natsu! *Erza leaves to bribe Natsu with cake* We'll answer the second part of the question while she's getting him! ODaM Natsu is much more powerful than you guys have seen so far. You saw the seal that he keeps on himself, but what I haven't shown is that's a secondary seal, to restrict his power further. He has a primary seal that suppresses about 70% of his power, and the second seal suppress about half of the remaining. As he is right now, he would give Gildarts a pretty good fight, but ultimately lose. *thinks a little* Though he might bring Gildarts down with him.

Against Canon Natsu during the Alvarz Empire arc, it would really depend on how much of his power he had. With both seals intact, Canon Natsu would likely win. Maybe. With only the primary seal intact, ODaM Natsu would win, hands down.

 **Erza** : I have returned with Natsu!

 **Natsu** : *sulking*

 **Author** : Thank you, Erza! There's cake in the fridge! Natsu, **jomama25** wants to know what your favorite color is.

 **Natsu** : *broods darkly at you* Either red like the blood of my enemies, or black like my soul.

 **Author** : …

 **Natsu** : …

 **Author** : ... He likes pastel green.

 **Natsu** : I said black like my soul!

 **Author** : Moving on! **American Mayhem** asks, " _Natsu, do you ever plan on letting Fairy Tail know your secret?_ "

 **Natsu** : *snorts* Hell no! Last time someone in a position of authority learned about me, an entire country went up in flames, and I promised Igneel that I would try to stop killing so many people.

 **Author** : *why-do-I-deal-with-you look* You have a problem, Natsu.

 **Natsu** : Depends on what you mean by problem.

 **Author** : This is why I don't post many chapters. You're too hard to write. Anyway, here's a review from **Meow Orbit**! *laughs* You know, you're becoming my favorite reviewer really fast. " _Natsu I have like seven questions for you. Have you been romantically involved with anyone? (I'm just checking wanna know if there's a past there) How do you know Layla? Who is Mujona? Who is Fuyu? And most importantly who are you looking for and why?_ " Yes, Natsu, answer the review! *gleeful cackling*

 **Natsu** : *blushes at first question* It would depend on what you mean by 'romantically involved'. I will not comment any further on that. Layla is an easy one. We met when we were younger, travelled a bit, beat up some dudes. *rubs chin thoughtfully* She had a nice kick. Mujona is Fuyu's father, and very dead. Fuyu… *gets weird expression on his face* was awesome. Mad awesome. As for who I'm looking for and why, that's none of your business.

 **Author** : Don't worry, that will all be answered in depth later! lololol *sees the next one* *starts laughing maniacally*

 **Natsu** : *scoots away*

 **Author** : We're going to save the one from **midnightscar17** for last, because….. ehehehehehehehe….

 **Natsu** : And you say I have problems. By the way, we don't have any more reviews.

 **Author** : *devastated* WHAT NOOOO *sulks in the corner*

 **Natsu** : *shrugs* It's not a big deal. Only five people sent in questions… *sulks in the corner* *actually a big deal*

 **Lucy** : Y-You guys are overreacting. *sweatdrop*

 **Author** : *pops up excited* Just the blonde I was looking for! This last question concerns you as well.

 **Lucy** : Should I be scared?

 **Author** : Probably!

 **Lucy** : *concerned for her life with good reason*

 **Author** : **midnightscar17** asks " _Whats the pairing in this story_ ". I'll direct this question to Lucy and Natsu. *cackles like a mad woman while fetching food*

 **Lucy** : This looks like a great question! To be honest, I'm not sure what it is so far. Author-san has been very careful with that information. It seems a bit more like an adventure story, if you ask me. What do you think, Natsu?

 **Natsu** : I think this whole romance thing is retarded. Why on earth do you want to watch me have a romance? That's just creepy. Besides, the age difference alone between me and any other person exceeds ultra creeper level. *completely disturbed*

 **Author** : *maniacal laughter slightly muffled by food in the background* Either of you think why you two are the ones answering this question?

 **Natsu** : *takes a moment to realize* Oh, please, gods above, no.

 **Lucy** : Ehh?! What is wrong with you people?! Sure, he's kind of cute, but he's a psychopath! And he's a jerk! He's just… no.

The following section has been severely edited for language.

 **Natsu** : Now hold on just a [bleep]ing moment. You [bleep]s actually [bleep]ing expect me to [bleep]ing [bleep] the blonde? What the [bleep] is wrong with you [bleep]s?! I am four hundred and [bleep]ing nineteen! She is [bleep]ing, what? Seventeen? Eighteen? And for those [bleep]ers that are pairing me with Erza… What the [bleep] is wrong with you [bleep]ers?! Erza is like a [bleep]ing sister to me! Why the [bleep] are you guys so interested in my love life anyway?! You know what, I don't even want to [bleep]ing know. [Bleep] this [bleep], I'm out. *leaves*

 **Author** : BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA THAT WAS GREAT THANKS FOR READING, GUYS! We'll be doing this again after every major arc, for you guys to get your questions out. You can ask anyone anything, and I mean anything. Favorite Youtube videos, least favorite foods, what they think of another fandom, etc. Thank you **guest, jomama25, American Mayhem, Meow Orbit,** and **midnightscar17**! I had a lot of fun writing this!

 **Levy** : Wait! Wait! There's a late entry!

 **Author** : *starry eyes* Really?! Let me see! This is from **Zela Night** , who asks, " _Who is Mojona?_ _I can't wait for the next chapter! So, how good is Natsu at acting?_ " I'm glad you're looking forward to it! See **Meow Orbit** 's question for the answer on Mujona. Natsu, why don't you show them your acting skills?

 **Natsu** : No.

 **Author** : Please?

 **Natsu** : No.

 **Author** : Pretty please?

 **Natsu** : No.

 **Author** : Fine. Jerk. Natsu isn't really one for acting, though he's pretty good at most things he tries. No, his real passion is - mph! *Natsu covers Author's mouth and drags her away* *manages to uncover mouth* Thank you, **Zela Night**!

This Q&A is Usagi-chan approved.


	66. Not really a chapter but plz read anyway

***walks in* *is attacked* AAAAAUUUGGGGHHH NATSU PLEASE HELP MEEEEE. *Natsu stands in the way* Thank you, Natsu. SOOOO, believe it or not, I'm still alive! *laughs nervously* I feel really bad for not being able to respond to or post anything, but I promise that I have a valid reason!**

 **So, first off, my wifi decided a few months ago that it no longer liked fanfiction. net, which meant that all of my posting had to be done at the college library or at a friend's house whenever I was on her computer. Which was rare. But then came summer and the end of term, so having no social life, I couldn't post.**

 **But a couple days ago, Natsu fixed the router *cough*** **smashed it in frustration** ***cough*** **(it actually just randomly crapped out) so we got a new one, which has fixed my problems! So I can post again.**

 **Two, I've been suffering from depression, and it's been really bad lately. I'm not sure what's causing it, but I'm going to see if it's a diet/activity thing before going any further. Writing helps, so this doesn't mean that I'll be stopping XD Also, I had two pets die in as many weeks - one had cancer under a lung that was giving her pneumonia, and the other just wasted away for unknown reasons - so as you can probably imagine, that hasn't helped my depression.**

 **I also… might not have been writing for ODaM very much (blame Igor Nerd for encouraging my Naruto fanfics XD). I promise that I'm not giving it up, which leads me to the next thing I wanted to say.**

 **Meow Orbit, thank you so so so much! I haven't been able to moderate your reviews because of aforementioned wifi problems, and have only been able to read the top parts of your reviews, but UGH I FREAKING LOVE THEM. Your reviews have been giving me life, and I was inwardly screaming at myself because I couldn't reply to them DX**

 **That goes for all of you reading this. Even if I can't respond to them, I read all of your reviews, and they add sunshine to my day and give me the energy to actually do householdy stuff.**

 **Also! Just remembered! I created a Pat reon, but haven't linked up the money thing yet, so if you see it and want to donate for whatever reasons (it's NibiKitsune) please don't just yet XD I made it for a comic that a friend and I are doing together, and the info is on the account. So that's an option if you're in the habit of doing that. XP**

 **Thank you all so much for understanding and supporting ODaM throughout the years (is it really two years old already?)! I'll be trying to write more over the summer. *kiss attack from dog who is now sitting on arm* Anyway, I'm not exactly blocked, I know what I want to do for the next few arcs of canon, which will extend to the Oracion Seis arc, and a couple of arcs between that one and the final arc, but if you guys have ideas for arcs in between, I'll be happy to hear them, and credit you if I choose one.**

 **Also, what would you guys think of a cyberpunk Fairy Tail fic? An old idea of mine that would fit better in a cyberpunk universe came back to mind a few days ago, and I wondered what you guys would think.**

 **Aaaand this has been going on for too long. It's not a chapter, just me talking to you. :)**

 **Here's some cookies for being great readers!** **And I make really good cookies.** **(: :)(: :)(: :)(: :)(: :)(: :)(: :)(: :)(: :)(: :)(: :)(: :)(: :)(: :)(: :)(: :)(: :)(: :)**


	67. Battle of Fairy Tail Arc: Broken Trust

**So, here I am, back with an actual chapter typed up in a few hours! Heh. Sorry about any errors. Or whatever. I stayed up till two thirty in the morning last night. I usually go to bed at ten. I'm tired, and kind of hungry... Enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

"The winner is Alzack," Makarov muttered darkly. "Jet and Droy have been K. ." The barrier lit up with names as other members were caught in Freed's enchantments. Gajeel had gone back to ignoring them and eating iron behind the counter.

"What is _wrong_ with them?" Natsu snarled.

"Foolish children! What do they think they're doing?!" Makarov demanded.

"They don't have any other choice," the armored wizard sighed, trying to rein in his temper. "These enchantments are hidden all over town. I should have known that Freed was up to something… The only way they can get out of the traps are to defeat whoever's in there with them. It's a civil war that Laxus designed to find the strongest members." He punched the barrier, rage filling him. "I'm going to start trying to bring this down," he muttered.

"Laxus is playing us like a bunch of pawns," Makarov growled. "If we can't defeat the Thunder God Tribe, the girls are going to be smashed to pieces… I know that everyone's trying to keep that from happening, but they're going about it in the wrong way."

"Tell me about it," Natsu said under his breath. _You humans are always so quick to turn against each other. You may preach about comradery and friendship, but the moment the chance is presented to you, you attack._

"If we keep fighting amongst ourselves," the master continued, "then the girls are as good as finished. We can't let Laxus win!" A flash on the barrier caught Natsu's attention.

"'Time remaining: two hours and fifteen minutes'?" he read in confusion. "'Participants remaining: forty-two'?" His eyes widened. "The bastard gave us a time limit?!"

"That can't be all that's left," Makarov said in shock. "That means that more than half the guild has wiped each other out in less than an hour!"

* * *

"I'm tired, but I can't give up now," Reedus panted as he ran. "I gotta make it to the East Forest. The Master's counting on me to get that remedy from Porlyusica! I gotta do it for the girls!" He crashed face first into a rune barrier. "No! It can't be! Don't tell me that Freed set up an enchantment around the entire town?!" The soft tinkling of runes behind him made him freeze.

"You're not attempting to break the rules of the game, are you?" Freed asked casually.

"What do you mean?" Reedus gasped.

"The town of Magnolia is your battlefield, and your guild allies are your opponents," the green haired man sighed. "If you are a wizard, then you must fight." He pointed a finger with runes spinning around it at the fat man. "Sorry. That's the rule."

* * *

"This sucks!" Gray snarled as he ran around Magnolia. "Where's the Thunder God Tribe hiding?!" Floating puppets surrounded him.

"It's Gray!" one said cheerfully.

"Sup, Gray?" another cooed. Then they blasted him into a shop. _Those are Bickslow's sidekicks,_ Gray thought grimly.

"Yo." As if summoned by Gray's thoughts, the man was standing behind him. "What do you say we have some fun, huh?" he asked with his tongue dangling out of his mouth.

* * *

Elfman glared at the beautiful woman standing in front of him. "Evergreen!" he snarled. She merely smirked at him. He charged her, shouting, "A real man would never need to take hostages! If you have any pride, then you'll change my sister back!"

"Well," she smirked, adjusting her glasses. "I'm not a man, now am I?" She lifted her glasses. Elfman gasped and closed his eyes against her magic, but she kicked him into a flower stall. "Oh, are all those beautiful flowers for me? How kind of you. They suit me so well." Elfman climbed out of the wreckage, his Beast Soul Takeover activated. He had tied a cloth around his eyes to protect himself from her Stone Eyes. "It's a shame that the only thing that's cute about you is your name," Evergreen said scornfully, opening her fan. "Elfman."

"You better turn my sister back or else!" Elfman shouted in a deeper, gravelly voice.

"Do you _really_ think you can defeat me while blindfolded?" she scoffed. Evergreen jumped out of the way of his punch as bystanders gasped. He sniffed the air, then spun and nearly hit her. "How resourceful!" she said in a tone one would use for a child as she threw golden dust on him. "So you can tell where I am by following my scent! Unfortunately, it's too late. You're already covered in my Fairy Dust! **Fairy Bomb Attack! Gremlin!** " Violent explosions surrounded Elfman, knocking him unconscious. He collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud.

"Statues are wonderful, aren't they?" she asked. "No matter how ugly a beast may be, once he is captured in stone, he becomes a beautiful work of art. But now, gaze into my eyes and submit to the eternal beauty of stone." Evergreen raised her eyeglasses and petrified the Strauss man. Stone eyes stared at the sky.

* * *

"'Evergreen versus Elfman'," Makarov said heavily. "'The winner is Evergreen'. I suppose that we can't be too surprised at that. Elfman is a strong wizard, but not on her level."

"Gray's fighting Bickslow," Natsu muttered as he compared runes on the floor. "He might be able to win. Maybe. He's strong, yes, but Laxus doesn't choose just anyone to be one of his personal bodyguards."

"Freed is fighting Reedus," Makarov muttered. "I had hoped that Reedus would have been able to escape, but it looks like that's not the case." The readout on the barrier changed to show that Reedus had fallen.

"There goes Tubby," Natsu said offhandedly. "We shouldn't need Porlyusica's help anyway. Laxus is many things, but a murderer isn't one of them. I know how that sits on a man's shoulders. He's just bluffing."

"I'm just bluffing, am I?" Laxus said behind them. _Thought projection,_ Natsu noted, then returned to his work. "Natsu. What are you doing holed up in this dump?"

"Being trapped by your lackey's stupid runes," Natsu replied without looking up.

"Huh. Last I checked you were under eighty. I guess I was wrong."

"What do you want, Laxus?" Makarov demanded of his grandson.

"How does it feel, huh? You think of the guild members as your children, right? Must be tough watching your little kiddies tearing each other apart…"

"If you've just come here to gloat, you can leave now," Natsu said flatly, rising to his feet and looking up at Laxus.

"Well, it's just too bad that you and Erza can't join the game, cause you don't have anyone else who's strong enough to take on the Thunder God Tribe. You ready to throw in the towel?"

"Oh, shut up, Lightning Crapper, before you really piss me off," Natsu snapped. "Gray's still in the game, and after fighting with him for a while, I've found that he's actually not half bad. He can undoubtedly take on your stupid Thunder God Tribe, or should I say, Whisper Imp Trio?"

"Is that seriously your best?" Gajeel mocked from behind the counter.

"Shut up, lizard, I made it up on the spot."

"Gray, huh?" Laxus smirked, ignoring Natsu's glare. "You're going to put all of your hopes on that loser?"

"I wouldn't underestimate the boy's power if I were you," Makarov growled. "He's a candidate for the next S-class trials! You would do well to fear him!"

"As if," Laxus snorted, then vanished.

"... S-class? That's a pretty impressive bluff there."

"It wasn't a bluff," Makarov said tiredly. "I've been considering holding an S-class trial in a few months, and Gray Fullbuster is one of the candidates." Natsu thought on that.

"He has the guts and the power," he finally said. "I think he'd do well, but you might want to hold off on the trials for a bit, especially after all the crap that's been happening." Makarov couldn't have been more in agreement.

* * *

 **Did you like it? Yes, no? Well, anyway, review and if you have any ideas for arcs between the Oracion Seis and the ones I have planned - you know, just interesting stuff to drop more hints into - feel free to tell me! :P**


	68. Battle of Fairy Tail Arc: Phoenix

**Monster Cat Music Girl randomly appears with a wild chapter! Heh. Those of you that follow me will have noticed that I have posted a new story! For Naruto! So I've been busy doing that, and doing an Blood Ties AU story for my good friend Igornerd.  
**

 **Also, I've been thinking about after this arc is over, taking a brief hiatus from ODaM to finish up the Rift Trilogy. For those of you that don't know, those are my first stories. I'd like to get those over with, and have been kind of psyching myself up for them. Would you guys mind terribly if I did that?**

* * *

Gray weaved through the clothing shelves, doing his best to dodge the lasers from Bickslow's puppets. _Crap!_ he thought grimly. _At this rate, I won't be able to do anything to save the girls._

" **Line Formation!** " Bickslow shouted from somewhere in the shop. Gray could almost see the other man's tongue hanging out like a dog's. The puppets stacked themselves on top of one another and spewed out an arc of green light. Gray barely dodged, the beam carving deeply into the wall behind him.

"Not too shabby, Gray!" he shouted cheerfully. "Now give me a **Victory Formation** , babies!" Instead of hearing their usual chittering, he heard things falling around him and smoke curling its way out of the shop. "What's the matter, babies?" The smoke rolled away to reveal his puppets mere balls of ice. "Crap! They're frozen solid!" Gray was nowhere to be seen.

Bickslow looked around for the other mage, and then Gray appeared out of the smoke, delivering a knee to the chin. As he flew back, he shouted, " **Ice Make: Hammer!** "

" **X Formation!** " Bickslow said cheerfully, and mannequins jumped to his rescue, blocking the heavy hammer.

"What the," Gray growled. Of course it wouldn't be that easy. _I'm probably not the first person to think of destroying the puppets._

"My Seidhr magic allows me to possess dolls with spirits~!" Bickslow explained, laughing. "If you freeze them, all I have to do is move them to another body! I got an immortal army on my side!"

"On his side!" the puppets echoed. _That's more than a little creepy._

"Man, this is going to be a real pain in the neck," Gray muttered as he settled into a battle stance.

"Do you get it now? You can attack my babies all day, and it won't do you a lick of good."

"Well, since it won't work on them," Gray said, putting his hands in front of him and summoning his magic, "I'll just freeze _you_ instead!"

"Go ahead and try!" Bickslow shouted, dodging the blast of ice and running away. "That is, if you can catch me!"

"You're just gonna run now?" Gray snarled, chasing after him. Bickslow cackled maniacally as he ran, with Gray shouting, "Come back here and fight me like a man!" He turned sharply into an alleyway. When Gray caught up, he was nowhere to be seen.

"Damn," he muttered, walking forward carefully. "Crazy freak. Where'd he run off to?"

"Getting warmer~!" Bickslow grinned from above. Gray's eyes went wide as he beheld the other man in a split with a foot on either wall. "Peek-a-boo."

"Real funny, what are you trying to pull here anyway?" Gray demanded.

"I told you, I just wanna have some fun and play with someone on my level!" Bickslow grinned. "Shame you don't make the cut. My babies are getting bored. It's time to spice things up a bit!" One of Freed's barriers shot up behind Gray. "Guess you're out of luck. You're not allowed to use magic as long as you're inside that barrier. Sucks to be you. It's times like these where it comes in handy being a long distance wizard~! Babies!" The mannequins appeared behind Gray and shot out several beams of light. "Without your magic, you're completely helpless!"

"Ya think so?!" Gray shouted, jumping up out of the smoke. He leaped off the walls, getting above the puppeteer. The puppets were right behind him, but that didn't bother him. He could easily take them on. "You want some?"

Unfortunately, Gray was distracted by a little girl with wide eyes watching him from her window. The puppets took the chance and blasted him into the wall. Bickslow cackled.

"Don't tell me that's all you got!" he grinned. Gray responded with a shout of anger and a fist to the face. "Listen up, you jerk!" Bickslow said, standing. He seemed honestly mad now. "When my babies hit you like that, you're supposed to stay down!" He placed his foot on Gray's unmoving form. "I'm glad I wore my helmet today. That punch could have cause major damage to my handsome face. And nobody wants that. Of course, we're just lucky if Gray here decides to wear anything!" He laughed as he walked away.

* * *

" _One more down_ ," Laxus chuckled. He was seriously getting on Natsu's nerves. After leaving the first time, he had appeared again as Gray's K.O. appeared on the barrier. " _Twenty eight contenders remain_."

Natsu swore softly underneath his breath, refusing to look at Laxus' self satisfied smirk. He instead focused on the papers scattered around him.

" _Weren't you saying earlier how you thought Gray could take on the Thunder God Legion? Who's going to beat the Thunder God Legion now?_ "

"Enough," Makarov whispered. "It isn't worth it. I surrender, alright?"

"Makarov!" Natsu said sharply.

"You've had your fun," the old man continued. "Now stop this."

" _What's gotten into you?_ " Laxus drawled. " _I thought you were the master of the almighty Fairy Tail guild. You can't just give up at the drop of a hat! But, if you insist on quitting, then by all means, hand the guild over to me._ "

"Why are you being so underhanded, Laxus?" Natsu sighed in annoyance. "Why don't you come over here and face me, or are you too scared to take me on?"

"I should have known," Makarov said, shaking with anger. "This was your goal from the very start, wasn't it?!"

" _You have an hour and a half before the statues crumble,_ " Laxus said coldly. " _If you really want to put an end to this, then announce your retirement to the whole town over the guild's loudspeakers. I want you to tell everyone that you're relinquishing Fairy Tail over to me! Think it over_ ," he grinned slyly. " _What means more to you? Your 'children' or your title?_ " He laughed as he vanished.

"I'm going to kill him," Natsu said after a moment. "I'm going to rip out his spleen and feed it to him. If he wants to be 'master' so bad, then he should have the guts to come here and face us in person!"

"It was never the title I valued," Makarov said tiredly. "But I cannot entrust Fairy Tail to Laxus. He doesn't have what it takes to fill these shoes. He lacks principle and heart."

"I can't just do nothing," Natsu snarled, slamming his fist against the barrier. Names trailed down as the Thunder God Legion wiped out their guild mates. "They're out there, hurting the people they're supposed to protect, and I'm stuck in this stupid guild hall helpless again to protect those I care about!" It didn't escape Makarov's notice of his use of 'again'.

He knew little enough of Natsu's past, only that a fire dragon named Igneel took care of him for some eight years. The armored mage had been extremely vague past that, and Makarov hadn't pushed. All he knew was that he had a dark and bloodstained youth on his hands who would much rather be left alone.

"Two left," Natsu muttered. "At a guess, I'd say that it's just me and Gajeel left on our side."

"Just you two?" Makarov gasped. "There's nobody left who can take down Laxus, and they can't leave."

"Well, then," Natsu sighed, dusting himself off as he stood. "I'll see what I can do about Erza."

"You weren't working on that before?!"

"No, I was trying to bring down the barrier, but I won't be able to do it on my own in time. I'm not that great with runes, really."

"What are you planning to do?" Gajeel asked, poking his head above the counter.

"Well, I'm hoping that if I turn up the heat enough, the stone will crack right off," Natsu explained, laying Erza on the floor. "Ice would work better, with less risk to her, but she'll probably be fine. Or maybe…" Natsu rested his hands on her stomach and closed his eyes.

 _Alright. Separate your magic so you don't contaminate her own._ When he felt confident that they were far enough apart, he slowly fed his magic into her cold body, feeling it warm up beneath his hands. A single crack echoed through the room. Peeking an eye open, he saw a crack had opened up above her left eye. A smile curved Natsu's mouth as he channeled more magic into her, cracking more of the stone as Gajeel and Makarov panicked behind him. The stone burst off her, leaving her completely fine.

"Hello, my dear," he said softly. "How are you feeling? Anything off?"

"I… I feel hot," she murmured, then glared at Natsu. The look she gave him would be more than enough to terrify any other guild member. "It was you, wasn't it? Were you trying to cook me?!" She caught him under the jaw with a powerful punch, leaving the S-class wizard sprawled on the floor.

"I save you twice and this is the thanks I get?" Natsu grumbled, sitting up and rubbing his jaw. "Requip. I want to see if Evergreen's magic is still affecting you in anyway."

"Thank goodness you're alright," Makarov said as Erza requiped into her normal armor. "But how was the spell broken?"

"I'm not quite sure either," Erza said softly. "But if I had to guess, I'd say it has something to do with my right eye."

"It's pretty likely," Natsu agreed. "Her artificial eye probably weakened the effects of the spell, meaning that I was able to break it. Do you understand what's going on right now?"

"Yes. Despite being petrified, I could sort of hear what was going on around me."

"Alright! It's time to strike back!" Makarov said, making a fist in the air.

"There's three people registered now," Natsu observed. "Erza, go after Evergreen. If you get her first, then the enchantment ought to be released for the others. Then we'll have more 'players', as Laxus likes to call them." The number popped up to four. "Who on earth…? Oh. Mystogan." A crazed grin covered Natsu's face. "Just the man we needed. He'll go for Laxus, I think."

"Someone want to fill me in, over here?" Gajeel asked in an annoyed tone.

"Mystogan is our other S-class wizard," Makarov explained. "He's quite powerful for someone who only uses Holder Magic."

"He and I have… shall we say, an agreement," Natsu added, his glee obvious in his voice. "I have no doubt that things are looking up for us."

* * *

 **Oh dear, I do love our Natsu. I can assure you that Laxus will be regretting his actions once Natsu's done with him :D**


	69. Battle of Fairy Tail Arc: Thunder Palace

**Three chapters for three different fics... I am on a ROLL today! Hm, I think some of you misunderstood what I said in the last chapter, probably because I wasn't too clear. It's not really a hiatus? I'm still writing for this and stuff, but OMoT is my main focus. I want to finish the Rift Trilogy, then Midori, which hopefully won't take too long; after thinking about it, Midori shouldn't be longer than maybe twenty chapters, and I posted chapter nine today.**

 **Anyway, where I'm going with this is that once I'm still posting for this fic, just a bit slower than I otherwise would. :D**

* * *

Evergreen jumped out of the smoke as Erza charged after her. She barely managed to fly away before Erza slashing her with the two swords she pulled out. The water tower leaked and began to collapse.

"We've got a score to settle," Evergreen smirked.

"Saves me the trouble of hunting you down, I suppose," Titania growled, leaping forward. "The sooner I defeat you the sooner the others will be turned back!"

"Aren't you confident," the other woman sighed as she lifted her glasses.

Erza merely closed her real eye and shouted, "That won't work!"

"So that heinous artificial eye actually worked in your favor!" Evergreen said as she jumped back. "Then let's see how you like my Fairy Machine Gun! **Leprechaun!** " Brilliant needles made of golden light shot out at Erza. She dodged most of them and deflected the ones she couldn't. _I refuse to allow Evergreen to win this battle._ "Try again~!" the green clad woman sang out as she avoided Erza's attacks.

"Coward!" Erza shouted in frustration, pursuing her foe.

"You're quite adept at deflecting my thorns, aren't you?" Evergreen noted, annoyed. "But I'm just getting started! I wonder, can you handle twice as many?" She increased her deflection speed, but she was being nicked all the same. Evergreen laughed. "From this day forth, _I_ shall be known as Titania!" she announced. "For I am the true fairy queen."

Erza smirked and requipped her shoes away and replaced them with swords. Jumping at Evergreen, she twisted in the air to use all four swords against her.

"What?!" Evergreen cried. **(A/N You and me both, Ever.)** Erza threw the swords held by her feet and pinned her to the wall by her sleeves. She whimpered nervously as Erza landed and watched her.

"Personal character aside, you're still a member of Fairy Tail, the same as anybody else. So if you want to call yourself Titania, then go ahead. I don't even know who gave me that name in the first place.

* * *

Natsu sneezed explosively as he investigated the other statues. _Damn allergies,_ he thought as he wiped his nose.

* * *

Evergreen growled in anger. "You cease this nonsense and turn the girls back to normal," Erza commanded. "Then I promise I will not harm you."

"You're being a bit naive, aren't you?" Evergreen chuckled. "I'll have you know that my Stone Eyes grant me another ability as well. Remote control. Drop to your knees and bow before me! If you refuse, I'll use my power to topple your precious statues and shatter them!" Erza's eyes went wide before a firm look covered her face. Shaking her hair free of the ribbon, she requipped. Evergreen's smirk quickly changed into a look of shock as she saw exactly what armor Erza was wearing.

"I'm surprised, Evergreen," Erza said coldly with her Heaven's Wheel armor. Swords were floating at the ready to shoot at the pinned woman. "I never thought _you_ were the kind who would sacrifice her life for her ideals. If they must be shattered, I will have no other choice but to collect your soul in retribution for their demise!" Evergreen sweat and whimpered until she screamed at the top of her lungs. It was cut short by Erza's fist to her face. "If you're going to bluff, then do it right," Erza sighed.

"All right," Evergreen's muffled voice came. "You win."

* * *

Natsu was investigating the other girls, trying to determine if there was something that he could use to free another girl. He had tried Lucy and Juvia already - boy did he get a glare with that one - and was now working on Cana. _There's a slight crack on her thigh…_ He touched it gently. _I can use that, right?_

He felt magic shiver underneath his hand as Evergreen released the spell, and Cana blinked in surprise. Then she looked down.

"Hello, Cana," Natsu said, withdrawing his hand. She turned bright red and kicked him.

"You freaking pervert!" she shouted as Natsu pulled away, trying to defend himself from her blows. "I'm going to kick the everloving shit out of you!"

"What… what happened to us?" Juvia wondered.

"I can't remember," Levy agreed.

"Luuuucccccyyy!" Happy wailed, dive bombing into her chest.

"'Erza vs Evergreen'," Natsu read on the wall. "Erza won."

"Really, Natsu, we hadn't noticed," Cana deadpanned.

"Well, Laxus, you're all out of hostages, boy," Makarov said victoriously. "Can't continue with your game now, can you?!"

"Please don't trigger Murphey's Law," Natsu groaned. "Trust me, the universe is usually listening when you think it's not."

* * *

Laxus snarled. "You failed me," he bit out as he punched a nearby pillar. "I put my faith in you, Evergreen, and this is how you return the favor?! I come to find out that you're weaker than _Erza_? Damn..."

"Titania's stronger than you think," Freed observed as he approached Laxus. "Bickslow and I should have gone after her instead."

"Why are you here when you should be fighting?" Laxus demanded in a low voice.

"The game is as good as over," Freed said. "Without hostages, we can no longer force the master's hand." Laxus spun around and threw a bolt of lightning at Freed. It barely missed him. Lowering his arms, he said, "What are you doing?"

"This fight ain't over," Laxus said grimly. "If you don't want to follow me, then get lost. There's no place for weaklings in _my_ Fairy Tail."

* * *

"'Battle of Fairy Tail'?" Lucy said in confusion.

"Laxus outdid himself this time," Cana frowned, for once, not in the mood to drink.

"At any rate, it's over now," Makarov declared. "I only played along with his foolish game because your lives were in danger, but I won't indulge him any more."

"Master," Mira said softly. "We can't get him get away with hurting our friends."

"Yeah, she's right!" Bisca shouted. "If we don't teach Laxus a lesson, then he'll never learn!"

"Oh, don't worry. I'm going to give that boy a punishment he'll never forget. He should know better. You can mess with me but you can't mess with my guild!"

"What's with the serious expression?" Juvia asked.

"Naw, it's nothin'," Gajeel shrugged.

"This guild is rather fun, isn't it?"

"It ain't boring, at least." Juvia smiled. That was the best she was going to get out of her friend for now.

"Am I the only one that thinks that that isn't good?" Natsu asked as he gestured to the runes floating off the barrier and rising to the ceiling. They proceeded to turn into a skull. "... He's not actually trying that, is he? Laame."

" _Can you hear me, old man?_ " a voice emanated from the skull. " _The rest of you better listen up too. Looks like one of the rules has gone out the window. That's fine. I'll just add a new one. In other words, since I would_ _ **hate**_ _to end the Battle of Fairy Tail early, I've decided to activate the Thunder Palace._ "

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Natsu snarled, taking a step forward.

"Are you out of your mind, Laxus?!" Makarov shouted.

" _You have one hour and ten minutes,_ " Laxus continued, ignoring them. " _If you think you can win, then you better get moving. Unless you're ready to hand the guild over to me now._ "

"Never! I'd give it to Natsu first!"

"... Thanks? I think…" The skull dispersed with Laxus laughing maniacally.

"This game has gone on for long enough, boy!" Makarov roared. "I won't let you drag innocent people into this!" He clutched at his chest and staggered, then fell.

"Master!" the girls cried. Natsu caught him before he hit the ground, kneeling to cradle him in his arms.

"I'll go get his medicine!" Mira shouted as she ran off.

Bisca leaned in and asked, "Master, can you hear us?"

"Back off and give him some breathing room," Natsu growled. His hand glowed gold as he pressed it to Makarov's chest.

"Is he going to be ok?" Lucy whispered. "And what did Laxus mean by 'Thunder Palace'?"

"Look outside," Natsu snapped. "Go away, I can't hear myself think." As the others went to one of the balconies, Natsu frowned deeply and increased the magic flowing to his hand. _He needs a doctor badly. I can't fix this._ Given that he ate well and never lived to be physically old enough to have one, Natsu had never learned how to heal heart attacks and the like. _Someone needs to defeat Freed and get Porlyusica. I don't think the master will live without her._

Glowing orbs with a bolt of lightning in them floated in a huge circle around Magnolia. They emitted a strange whirring sound that quickly became annoying. "What are those?" Happy asked.

"They look like lightning lacrima to me," Levy frowned.

"That means Laxus did this," Cana agreed.

"They're flying all over the town," Lucy said as she covered her eyes from the sun's glare.

Cana frowned deeply and put her hand on her hip. "They may not look that dangerous, but they're overflowing with lightning magic. This could get ugly. Let's just hope he doesn't set them off."

Juvia put her hands behind her back, rocking on her toes. "Could this be the Thunder Palace he was referring to?" she wondered.

"If those things are full of lightning, then what will happen if he activates them?" Lucy asked, pointing at one of the lacrima. Cana was silent for a moment.

"Everything within it will be burned to a crisp," she finally said. Lucy imagined that happening and shuddered. _All of those innocent people here…_

"I won't let that happen!" Bisca shouted, pulling out a sniper rifle and cocking it. " **Singer Shot!** " The lacrima exploded and the pieces fell to the ground.

"Nice shot!" Lucy grinned.

"Lucky we got a sniper," Cana agreed.

"Now all I gotta do is take out the rest of them," Bisca said smugly. Then she screamed as a bolt of lightning shot down and hit her. After what felt like eternity, she collapsed, unconscious and smoking.

"What the hell is - oh," Natsu growled as he threw the door open and beheld the scene. "Looks like I was a little late."

"Late for what?" Cana shouted. "Watching your guild mate get electrocuted?!"

"No, late for telling you guys to leave the lacrima alone unless you like being violently shocked," he replied, voice dripping with disdain. "I thought that you would be smart enough to leave them alone, but then I remembered that this is Fairy Tail I was thinking about." He checked over Bisca before picking her up bridal style. "I'm taking her to infirmary. Body Link magic sucks, huh?" Natsu laughed harshly before disappearing again.

"What can we do?" Levy whispered.

"We've got to take care of Laxus as soon as possible," Cana said.

"I'll help the citizens evacuate!" Lucy volunteered before running off. Happy joined her, determined to help his guild.

"Bickslow and Freed are still out there!" Cana shouted after them. "Be careful!"

* * *

The citizens were beginning to be uneasy. Laxus merely laughed from his hiding place of Kardia Cathedral. "How do you like that, you old geezer?" he grinned. "Now everybody in the whole stinking town is my hostage!" Freed shifted uncomfortably behind him.

* * *

"They're resting for now," Natsu sighed, rolling his shoulder. "I've done all I can. Laxus has really crossed the line this time, however. Levy, can you rewrite Freed's runes? And if so, how long will it take?"

"Um, I'm not sure," Levy said, tapping her chin. "It's a type of Script magic, so I ought to be able to. I'll get started on it."

* * *

"I think you're taking this too far," Freed finally said.

"Too far, huh?" Laxus mused. "I decide how far is too far. This is a fight to the bitter end! And that means it won't be over until one of us is wiped out!"

* * *

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this. Remember, reviews give MCMG life! And really crazy motivate her!**


	70. Battle of Fairy Tail Arc: Spirit Battle

**This chapter is a bit on the short side, but I wanted to get it out before I go to bed tonight. Here's hoping some melatonin will help me get some half way decent sleep tonight...**

* * *

"If I break the Logue letter sequence data into component blocks," Levy muttered as she scrawled fiercely on the paper before her. "Pinpoint the terms used to define the rules… I get L, O, S, U… and if I convert _that_ into Geel grammar…"  
"You're something else," Gajeel remarked beside her, watching her with sharp eyes. "You might be speaking the same language, but I have no idea what you're saying."

"Wait a minute!" she shouted, startling the Dragon Slayer. She turned and pointed her pen at him. "The L and S are bluffs! The key code is 'Arth'!"

"Uh… Ok…"

"Don't worry, I'm almost there. I promise I'm going to get you out of here."

"It's no big deal," Gajeel muttered.

"It is to me. You have to stop Laxus!" The barrier crackled as another of Natsu's attempts to get through failed. He swore violently and threw his book at the wall, clearly frustrated.

"I hope you're having better luck with this than I am, midget," he called. _I only spent a few years on runes. Freed has spent his entire life on them, and I'm sure that this one is specially designed to deal with me. Laxus knows me better than I thought he did._

* * *

"We can still win, Laxus," Freed frowned. "We don't need hostages. Stop this."

"What are you still doing here?" Laxus said after a moment, his temper reigned in for now. "Shouldn't you be out there hunting Fairies with Bickslow? I'll take care of Erza, Mystogan too. With Natsu trapped behind the barrier, they're the only ones that can challenge me. In the meantime, you deal with Cana and that Phantom girl. I don't need either of them in my Fairy Tail. Exterminate them." Freed visibly flinched at the words.

"Even if they're our enemies now, they're still our -"

"If I give you an order, you better do what I say!" Laxus roared. Freed bowed his head.

"After coming this far, there is no turning back now," he finally said. "I will follow you, even if it leads me to hell. If you want me to exterminate, then so I shall. But their blood is on your hands." He sounded like he was convincing himself more than anything else at that point. "You'd better not hold remorse once this is all over."

"Excellent, Freed the Dark. Show them your true power, once and for all!"

* * *

"Damn! No leads at all!" Cana snarled.

"Is there a place in town that Laxus might have some sentimental attachment to?" Juvia inquired.

"Well, we've known each other for a long time, but he's seemed really preoccupied with someone for a while now."

* * *

"Why can't we use the guild loudspeaker?" Happy complained as he walked along the railing of the bridge.

"There's an enchantment on it that only allows the master to use it if he chooses to surrender to Laxus," Lucy said. "They worked really hard to stab their friends in the back, huh? Anyway, we need to get the townspeople away from the Thunder Palace.

"Lucy, I don't think that's a good idea," Happy said as something caught his eye. "There are tons of people here from other towns for the Harvest Festival. The city is packed!"

"Which is why we need to warn them about those things!"

"It'll only cause a panic if we tell them! People might get hurt!"

"Then what should we do?"

"Yeah!" a puppet said from behind her.

"What should we do?" another asked.

"Think, Lucy!" a third encouraged.

"Get out of the way, Lucy!" Happy shouted, flying for her. Lucy screamed as the puppets shot lasers at her. The Exceed grabbed her in time to drag her away.

"What _are_ those things?!" she wailed. Happy dropped her on a rooftop.

"It's Bickslow," he fretted.

"Yo," the aforementioned mage waved as he settled on a pole. "You must be the newbie Natsu's so besotted with."

"'Besotted with'?" Lucy screeched. "What on earth are people saying?!"

"Just that you're a cosplay loving, macho dominatrix with violent mood swings, who clearly has a thing for tall dark and scary!"

"They make me sound like some sort of pervert!" she wailed.

"What are you supposed to be, anyway?" he asked, tapping his chin. "Some sort of cheerleader?"

"Cheerleader! Cheerleader!" his puppets agreed.

"Ok, babies! Get her!" _Wait, what._ She screamed and frantically ran away. "Sorry I can't go easy on you, since you're new and all," he bowed. "But we are in the middle of an intense game, you see."

"Do you honestly think the master will let you get away with everything you've done?" Lucy demanded.

"We don't care what he thinks," he shrugged. "By the time this game is over, Laxus will be the new master!"

"Those flying things are really annoying. **Open, Gate of the Horseman! Sagittarius!** "

"Ooh, celestial magic. So your spirits like to cosplay too?"

"It's not like that! Aim for those flying things!"

"My poor babies!" Bickslow wailed as Sagittarius destroyed his puppets. "First you were frozen, now you're blasted to bits! My babies…"

"You want to surrender?" Lucy smirked. "Now's your chance!"

"What am I going to do," he moaned. "My poor babies!" Bickslow looked up and grinned. "Just kidding." A green blast hit the spirit in the chest, forcing him back to the spirit world.

"What the heck?!" Lucy cried.

"Beneath me is a toy shop," Bickslow explained. "In other words, an armory! It doesn't matter how many of them you destroy; I'll just replace them! I really just control their souls."

"Are you kidding me?! Only one thing to do." She started to pull out her keys, but one of the puppets snatched it out of her hand. "Hey! Jerk!" Happy did his best to get them back, but the puppets attacked them both fiercely.

"Too bad for you, cosplay girl. Looks like the game just went into 'sudden death' mode." Glowing green eyes appeared behind his visor. "But don't worry, I'll take extra good care of your soul. **Baryon Formation!** " Five dolls created a pentagon and began spinning and glowing. Lucy was frozen in horror as a large green beam shot towards her.

Suddenly a pair of arms scooped her up, carrying her away from the blast. For a ridiculous second, she thought it was Natsu, but her rescuer was wearing a suit, not a set of armor. Plus, Natsu was stuck in the guild.

"It's strange, isn't it?" Loke said with a clear smirk in his voice. "But for some reason I have no problem travelling between our worlds without needing you to summon me. Perhaps the wall between humans and spirits is no more… Together, you and I have broken it down, and it's all thanks to the power of our love." He gently set her on her feet.

"Power of love?" she whimpered, blushing. "Oh, come on, don't joke around like that."

"I know you!" Bickslow shouted. "You're Loke!"

"Looks like it's time to fulfill my promise, huh?" he said, clenching a fist.

"Huh, whaddaya know. You _were_ a celestial spirit after all. I kept your secret all this time, and this is the thanks I get?"

"Well, you try to hurt my key holder, and I can't allow that, so sorry, bud."

"Ha! You joining the Battle of Fairy Tail now?" Loke straightened his jacket.

"To be honest, I'm not very interested in any of that. But I won't allow you to hurt my owner, no matter what!" _If only I could protect her from Natsu as well…_

"'Won't allow'? Haha! That's a riot. You've never beaten me before, and I was pulling my punches!"

"That may be so, but I wasn't operating at full power either. So let's face down once and for all!"

"Ha! I'd like to see you try! Give him hell, babies!"

"Stand back, Lucy," Loke said, waving her away. "I'll handle this."

"Not gonna happen!" Lucy growled, pulling out her whip. "Any decent celestial wizard knows to not use their spirits as shields! Fighting together is more my style!" Loke smiled softly. _Maybe… Maybe Lucy is the one Natsu has been searching all these decades. Just maybe..._

* * *

 **Uuuuugggghhhhh I'm exhausted, craving deviled eggs, and and really sick of Lucy. *sigh* This is what I get for putting out three chapters in a day... Review please! Remember, reviews inspire me to write more! XD Have a cookie! (: :)**


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